Taken
by bookworm722
Summary: Edward had everything he had ever wanted. He is madly in love with fiancé, Bella. Edward comes home after night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella missing. Edward is heartbroken/devastated. Bella was kidnapped. Once Edward gets her back, can they rebuild what they have? Can Edward save her? Can Bella save Edward from his need for vengeance?
1. Chapter 1

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! This is my second_ Twilight_ fanfiction story. I hope you like it. I have about seven chapters already done and I promise that I will finish it. I finish the stories that I start. I can promise you that. I will try to update 2-3 times weekly if I get enough interest in the story. Please read and review! Enjoy

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

It has been two weeks since she had been taken. Two weeks since my life made any sense at all. I could not survive this life without her and I don't plan to be without her. I will find her. _I will find her._ This has become my mantra. I must find her. I must save her from whoever has her. I gaze around our small apartment with misty eyes.

Bella and I have been together since junior year of high school when she moved from Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington. She had mesmerized me from day one. We had Biology class together and she sat down right next to me. She was shy and hid behind the curtain of her soft, dark brown hair. I introduced myself and the rest was history.

We graduated and went to NYU together. We left for New York a month before classes would start so we could find a place to live and get part time jobs to get through school. I didn't really need to work, but I wanted to work if I could be with Bella even more. We found jobs at a local café as servers. We worked there the first two years of college together. After that, I insisted that I would take care of her. I knew her classes were getting more challenging and I wanted her to be able to focus on studying and not worry about money.

My father, Carlisle Cullen, made a great deal of money as a doctor. My mother, Esme, was a very successful interior decorator. They had set up a college fund for me the day I was born and deposited money into that account every month of my life. They were still depositing money in the account monthly. I wanted to take care of Bella. She finally agreed to let me.

That is until I had failed to take care of her…failed to protect her.

_I walked into the apartment whistling softly. The lights were on, but I didn't see her. She told me she was going to finish her Art History paper and then go to sleep. I walk into our bedroom, ready to curl up beside her and nestle her close. She is not there. The bed is still made, but then I see her cell phone on the floor beside the bed. I pick it up and see that the screen is cracked. I can't see the screen at all._

_Panic floods through me. "Bella!" I scream out. Something is wrong here._

_The overwhelming silence is my only response. The silence is deafening. I hear a ringing in my ears and darkness threatens to overcome me. I push it back and run like a mad man throughout the apartment._

_I race out into the living room and see the overturned lamp. I check the bathroom. I race around the kitchen stepping on some broken glass._

_No, no, no. I am silently screaming. I pull my phone out of my pants pocket and dial 9-1-1._

"_911, what is your emergency?" A bored voice asks._

"_My fiancé. She is missing. I came home and she is gone and there are things…"_

_I don't remember the conversation after that. I am not sure if I blacked out in shock or what. They next thing I remember are the police at my door._

A knock on the door brings me out of my thoughts. I race to the door to answer it. It's her! She has come back to me! I rip open the door and see my sister and her boyfriend, Jasper on the other side of the door. The hope I felt drains out of me. I step aside to allow them to enter and then I meander over to the couch and sit down with my head in my hands.

Alice sits down beside me. "Edward. This has to stop." She tells me softly, but firmly.

I don't move. I don't reply.

Alice continues. "Dad has hired three private investigators. Charlie is using all his connections possible. We will find her."

I feel a sob building in my throat. I am terrified that I will never see her again. I am even more terrified that we will get a call to identify her body…I shake the morbid thought away. I am immediately overtaken by another thought. What is her kidnapper doing to her? Is he hurting her? Tears leak from my eyes, but I have my head in my hands so no one can tell.

"Edward." Alice tries again. "You have to eat something. You will be of no use to Bella if you aren't healthy. She would hate to see you like this." She whispers the last part choking on tears herself.

The tears fall quickly now and I sit up to face her. Jasper has joined us on the couch and is hugging Alice tightly to his side. I know Bella would hate to see me this way, but I couldn't focus on anything but her. Food didn't matter. Sleep didn't matter. Classes didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing mattered without her.

The NYPD have been no help at all. I called them as soon as I got home at midnight two weeks ago. I told them someone had taken Bella. They came to investigate. They asked if anything else was missing. I told them her purse, coat, a suitcase, and some of her clothes. They believed right then that she ran away. They believed she left me.

They didn't know her. She would never have done that to me. Never. They ignored the broken lamp in the living room. They ignored the broken glass in the kitchen. They ignored her cell phone on the bedroom floor with its screen cracked. They said she must have been angry with me. They didn't know her.

I had been waiting two weeks for the kidnapper to contact me. I would give him whatever he wanted.

He hadn't contacted me. He hadn't contacted Charlie. He hadn't contacted anyone.

I was starting to accept that he didn't want money…he wanted my Bella. I run a hand through my hair and tug at the roots until it hurts. The pain helps me to hold on to reality…a little.

Alice sets a sandwich in front of me on a little plate with a glass of milk next to it. "Edward, when is the last time you have eaten?"

I shook my head. I didn't know and I didn't care. Why did food matter anymore? I couldn't cook in that kitchen without Bella. She would laugh at me and tell me to go do something useful while she made us something we could actually eat. Just thinking about eating in this apartment without her hurt immensely and tied my stomach in knots.

Jasper tried a different approach with me. "Edward, you are meeting with that reporter this afternoon, remember?"

I nod vaguely remembering Carlisle saying something about the news, so he continues. "You are going to be getting your story out there to the media. She has agreed to give us ten minutes of air time on the news broadcast. This will get Bella's picture out there. You will get your chance to address her kidnapper. You need to be prepared for this. You need to eat."

Jasper's words reach me when Alice's couldn't. I ate my sandwich quickly and drank all the milk. My sister leaned forward and hugged me and I hugged her back slightly. I know that Alice and Jasper love Bella, too. I know they are hurting too, but I just can't think about anyone else's pain right now. I am consumed by anguish constantly, never taking a breath without the waves of pain radiating through my entire being.

I have to be strong tonight. This is my chance to talk to the kidnapper, I hope. I hope he is watching the news. I need him to hear me. I need Bella to hear me, too. I cannot lose hope and I won't lose hope. I know my Bella is alive. I know it. If she were dead, my soul would know it. I would feel the loss instantly. Bella was my other half. My fiancé. My love. My life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! This is my second_ Twilight_ fanfiction story. I hope you like it. I have about seven chapters already done and I promise that I will finish it. I finish the stories that I start. I can promise you that. I will try to update 2-3 times weekly if I get enough interest in the story. Please read and review! Enjoy

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

Alice and Jasper stayed with me until my parents, Emmett, Rosalie, Charlie, Renee, and Jacob showed up. We were all going to the news station together. I slide into the car with Emmett, Rosalie, and my parents. I stare off into space blankly for a while. I hear a sniffle and look over to see Emmett wiping his eyes. Rosalie pats him on the back soothingly before wiping at her own eyes.

I remember Emmett's reaction to Bella's disappearance vividly. He had been devastated. He loves her like a sister and he is very protective of her.

"_Edward, what happened? You weren't making any sense on the phone." Emmett rushes into the apartment ignoring the police. Rosalie is following closely behind him as they nearly run over to me where I am sitting on the couch._

"_She…she is gone…Bella…gone." I manage to choke out._

_Emmett looks at me and I see that he is angry. "Gone? What the hell do you mean gone?"_

_I take a deep breath and then speak again. "When I came home from our guys night she was gone…broken stuff all over…her cell phone…was smashed. She is gone." _

_Saying that she is gone over and over again has a startling effect on Rosalie. _

"_Gone? Who took her? Why?" She is screaming and instantly leaves us to go over and question the police. I can hear her ripping them a new one when they suggest that Bella left me. She is screeching so loudly and they are telling her to calm down, but she will have none of it._

_Bella and Rosalie had become very close. We doubled with Emmett and Rosalie often because Emmett and Bella were a riot together. _

_Emmett sits down beside me and I see tears streaming down his cheeks. His muscles flex in anger. "Whoever did this will pay for this? I am going to kill them." He promises and I manage a slight nod. I know now that I was probably in shock, but I couldn't say much._

_I remember Emmett getting angry with me and with himself. "She told me she felt like she was being followed. How could we have been so stupid to leave her all alone?" He is reprimanding himself and me at the same time. It is true. I thought the same thing._

"_I will never forgive myself if she doesn't come back, Em." I tell him in a hoarse voice._

"_I will never forgive you or myself either." He tells me in an angry voice._

As I watch Emmett wiping his eyes, I feel tears come to my own eyes. Rose looks over at me and grasps my hand tightly in her own. I offer her a weak smile and she tries to return it but we are both beyond it.

Every moment with Emmett since Bella vanished has been tense. I know he blames himself. I also know he blames me. Bella had told Emmett about someone following her. I had believed her of course, but when Emmett suggested doing something about it I hadn't followed through. I know that if Bella never comes back he will never forgive me or himself. Why didn't I follow through when Emmett wanted to? Why didn't I take the threat more seriously?

I know that Rose has tried to convince him that whoever this was would have found another time when Bella was alone to take her, but like Emmett, I couldn't accept that. If I had been with her constantly this never would have happened.

I wondered how long the kidnapper had been following her. I wondered how long he had waited for his perfect opportunity. I wondered how he got into the apartment. Did Bella know him?

I shake my head to stop this line of questioning. I know it will just make me crazy and I need to try and stay focused on what I want to say tonight. I will have plenty of time alone with my thoughts later to sift through them and process. I have been doing nothing but that since she had been taken from me. I had to be missing something. There had to be a vital clue hidden somewhere.

I stare at my parents in the front seat of the car. My father looks as though he has aged ten years in two weeks. My mother has not stopped crying since she found out. Bella is a daughter to them. She loves them as well. Bella is an integral part of our family. She is important to all of us. She is best friends with Rose and Alice. Emmett is like her big brother and protector. Jasper and Bella are close as well. They are both very serious at times and introspective. Whenever Bella needs to calm down before a tough exam or before going into some type of difficult situation she calls Jasper and he talks her down.

Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper were all living in New York as well. My parents also bought a house in New York so they could come and visit whenever they had a spare moment. They allowed Charlie to use the house as well as Renee.

Charlie, surprisingly, had not blamed me. He didn't worry about assessing blame. Every spare moment was spent trying to find his daughter. He didn't care about blaming anyone. He just wanted to find Bella. Renee wouldn't look at me, but then again she wouldn't really look at anyone. I know that she is scatterbrained and that only Bella can really reason with her. She needs Bella. She hasn't said a word to anyone since Bella's disappearance.

That leaves Jacob Black. There is just no other way to say this. Jacob Black absolutely hates me. He has hated me for years. Jacob is Bella's closest friend outside of my family. Charlie and Jake's dad, Billy, are best friends. Bella and Jacob had known each other for a long time. When Bella and I started dating, she still spent a lot of time with Jake. I knew how he felt about her and I was insanely jealous of the time they spent together, but I trusted Bella. I knew she didn't care for him the same way he cared for her.

Unlike the others, Jacob vocally blamed me for Bella's disappearance. His hatred was not muted at all.

_Charlie, Renee, Billy, and Jake had flown in to New York as soon as they heard. They arrived late the next afternoon. Charlie and Renee were so overcome that they didn't say much. Charlie went right to the police station to question the police taking Billy and Renee with him. Jake stayed with me. We were alone. _

_He walked around the apartment for a while before walking into our bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed. He picked up a picture of all of us. We had all been playing a game of football over summer break. Jacob, Bella, myself, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rose, and Seth Clearwater had been in the picture. We were smiling so big and just enjoying the afternoon sunshine together. His finger had caressed Bella's face lovingly before gently placing the picture back on our dresser. He took in a picture of Bella and I on the nightstand. He picked it up and looked at it for a long time before tossing it on the bed and standing up to face me angrily._

"_How long did you know someone was following her?" He doesn't even attempt to keep the contempt out of his voice._

_I hung my head and replied. "About a month." I say it softly._

"_A month? You knew that someone was following her and you did nothing? You should have told Charlie! Why the hell didn't she tell me?" He is ranting and pacing in the small room. I know this is just him coping, but I can't comfort him and I know he wouldn't want me to comfort him._

"_She didn't want to worry Charlie or you. She thought she was being paranoid."_

_Jake laughs a cold laugh. "She only thought that because you didn't take her seriously. Bella never takes herself seriously. Of course she would think she is crazy, but we both know that she is unusually observant. We know that. How could you not take it seriously?"_

_The truth of his words burns through me. I am a burning man. I hate myself. Jake is right. This is all my fault. I know it is._

"_It is my fault, Jake. I know that. If…if we can't get her back I will never forgive myself."_

_Jake walks up and gets in my face. "If we get her back do you honestly think she will be the same person? Do you know what happens when people are taken? Do you have any idea at all what is probably happening to her right now?" His voice rises hysterically and I let him get it all out. "She will never be the same ever again, Edward. I feel it. The Bella we both know and love will be altered or gone forever."_

_I believed him. Jacob understood Bella in a way I never really had. They had known each other since childhood and they were attuned to each other in a certain way. It was different than the magnetism between Bella and me, but it was still powerful nonetheless. _

"_I'm sorry, Jacob." I tell him sincerely. I know it won't matter. He will never forgive me for this. He shouldn't forgive me for this._

"_You should be." Is all he tells me before leaving the bedroom and slamming the door behind him leaving me in our bedroom alone with thoughts of my Bella. _

_I pick up the picture of Bella and me to set it back on the nightstand, but I don't. I clutch it to me desperately. I take in her bright shining eyes and her shy smile. She is so beautiful. This picture is one of my favorites. Bella and I had gone clubbing in downtown New York City with Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett. Bella and I had been dancing all night. Alice captured the moment where she is smiling at the camera and I have my arms wrapped around her waist directly behind her looking only at her. I wasn't even aware that Alice had taken a picture. Bella loved it instantly. She loved how we looked together, so at ease with each other. She said the photo captured "us" perfectly and I agreed with her whole heartedly. That picture was taken just over three weeks ago. I wonder if the stalker was following her then like Bella thought. _

_Anger…self-hatred fills my entire being. Why hadn't I listened to her? I was so wrapped up in our perfect life and I never thought that anyone could ever change that or take it away from me. They took my life away from me. And I let them…I let them do it._

_I hold the photo tightly in my arms and fall over on the bed and sob desperately. _

I shake away the vivid memory and try to recover myself before my mom notices. She is already sobbing as it is in the front seat. My dad reaches over and grasps her hand in his with tears streaming down his face as well. I feel like all any of us have done since she was taken is cry. It is a helpless feeling when there is nothing else you can do.

We arrive at the news studio. My father rushes inside to meet with the reporter ahead of us. He has arranged all this for us. He threw a great deal of money at them to make this happen and I am so grateful for it.

We all walk into the news studio and the reporter comes up to greet us.

"Hello, you must be Edward." She tells me standing right in front of me with unwavering eye contact. She seems straightforward and friendly. I don't really care about anything else. I don't even notice what color her hair is. It just doesn't matter. "My name is Jane. I want to speak with you before the news cast and make sure everything is absolutely perfect. We are going to do everything we can to help you find your fiancé." She tells me in a confident voice. I don't even look at her, but I nod so she knows I am listening.

My father steps up to Jane and speaks with her quietly. I can make out a few words though. "He can't…hasn't really been able to ….not eating…can't sleep…" I tune out after that. He hadn't said Bella's name and that was the only thing my mind was attuned to at this point, the only word that mattered.

"Edward, do you have your speech prepared?" She asks me softly. Again I nod at her. She speaks again slowly. "Edward, I need you to make eye contact with me so I can be sure you will do it on camera. Can you do that for me?"

I can do anything for my Bella, so I bring my eyes up to meet hers. They are light blue and they disappoint me. I just want to see those chocolate brown eyes I love so very much. I just want to crawl into our bed and clutch her favorite sweater in my arms and cry. Her clothes still smelled so much like her…they keep me grounded…sometimes.

"Good." She tells me warmly in a sympathetic voice and I look back down at my feet not able to remember what she is talking to be about.

She leads me into a small conference room and I see the camera right in front of a small desk. She ushers me into the seat without touching me, which I appreciate. I don't want her to touch me. No one needs to touch me. There is only one touch I want. I tolerate Alice's hugs, but I don't want those either.

She goes to sit beside me, but moves away from me slightly giving me my space. Again, I appreciate the effort, but don't say anything. I never really say anything anymore. I just want the phone to ring. I just want my Bella back.

The rest of my family and Bella's are waiting in the lobby. Carlisle has come back with me for encouragement. I don't need it, but I appreciate it. He has been there for me through all of this. Unlike Emmett and Jacob, he doesn't blame me. He loves Bella like a daughter and I can tell it is eating him alive too, but he has held himself together for our family…for me.

"We are live in five, four, three, two…" I hear the guy behind the camera say and then I hear Jane talking.

When did I even sit down? I shake my head to clear it knowing that I need to prepare myself mentally for this interview.

"Good evening, this is WNYC news. We have a special bulletin tonight. Bella Swan, 22, was abducted from her home in New York City two weeks ago tonight. She has dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, and stands at 5'5. She weighs 120 pounds. If you have any information on her whereabouts please contact the authorities." She pauses for a moment before continuing.

"Tonight, we have a special guest. Bella's fiancé, Edward, is here with us tonight to make a personal plea."

She turns to look at me and I nod at her before turning my eyes on the camera. I can do this. I have to do this for Bella. I force my voice to sound normal, but it is still raspy with emotion.

"My name is Edward Cullen. I want to address my fiancé's kidnapper. Whoever you are, I don't care. I just want my Bella back. I will give you any amount of money you request. I will do anything you ask of me, but please let her go. She will find her way back to me. Please don't hurt her."

I clear my throat and wipe away the tears in my eyes before continuing. "And I also want to say something to My Bella. I love you so much. I will never give up on you. I will love you forever. Come back to me, sweetheart. I can't live without you."

I look away from the camera then and I hear Jane talking again…but I tune her out. I just hope I said enough. I want her back. I want my Bella back.

**Thoughts? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for those of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it so much! Please keep reviewing if you are interested in the story. I would love to know if there is enough interest in this story to continue. I have already written the first eight chapters.

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

"_Edward, put me down!" She shrieks laughing loudly._

_I smile and finally have mercy on her and set her down on our bed. _

_She gasps and looks around the room. There are rose petals all over the floor and the bed. Candles light up the entire room. A dozen red roses sit on the bed. Bella reaches over and fingers the delicate petals before looking at me with surprise in her eyes._

_I had taken her out for a fancy dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant. We had gone for a walk through Central Park and then I told her I had dessert ready back at the apartment._

_She sits on the bed staring at me in astonishment as I sink to my knee in front of her and pull out a small ring box. I place the box in her hands and cover them with my own. _

"_Isabella Swan, I promise to love you every moment of forever. Will you do me the incredible honor of marrying me?" _

_I open the ring box and she gasps. "It belonged to my grandmother. My mom gave it to me for you to have."_

"_Yes." She says softly with tears streaming down her cheeks. "A thousand times yes."_

_I slip the ring on her ring finger and pull her into my arms. I swing her around hugging her close to me and then we kiss. It is a sweet, loving kiss filled with longing. _

"_I want to get married this summer." She says between kisses._

_I smile at her. "That gives us six months, love. It sounds perfect."_

I am abruptly brought out of my thoughts when the car stops at my apartment. That was two months ago. We had been planning our wedding. The sadness crushes me shattering the happy memory. The shards of glass dig into me deeply and I gasp out in pain. I actually look down at my chest to see if I am physically bleeding. I am a little ashamed to be sad that I am not…that pain would distract me from this huge hole in my chest every damn second of every damn day for the past two weeks.

Rose takes my hand again, but I wrench away from her. I can't touch anyone right now with the memory I just remembered. I get out of the car and walk towards my apartment. My parents begged me to move in with them, but I had refused. I had to be home in case she came back. No, I had to be home when she did come back. She would come back to me. I couldn't accept anything else.

Charlie, Renee, Billy, and Jacob stay the night with me at the apartment. We come into the living room and sit down as soon as we get home. Billy orders some pizza for all of us, but no one eats it. I look around the room at the devastated faces and feel guilt squeeze my insides.

Jacob is staring off into space and I don't even feel his presence in the room with us. Charlie and Billy are drinking on the couch, but there is no conversation just silence and the occasional swallow of beer. I look over at Renee. She is sitting in our lounge chaise staring blankly into the distance. Bella sits in that chair every night to read…she sat in it every night and she would again. I keep looking at Renee in concern. She has not spoken a word since Bella disappeared…I don't think anyway. Bella has always described her as childlike and I know Bella is the only person who really understands her. My heart is filled with dread and pain…I also feel a sense of panic building inside of me. Terror washes over me in waves and I am afraid I am going to drown in them.

I start up slightly when Jacob stands abruptly. His eyes are closed and his mouth is set in a hard line. When he opens my eyes I see panic in his eyes. Sheer panic and terror. I stand with him, but say nothing to him. I know no matter what that whatever I say will make it worse. He has always hated me and now I know he always will. If Bella doesn't come back he might kill me and I know I will let him do it. I will deserve it. I do deserve it.

Billy calls out to Jacob to try and comfort him, but Jacob ignores him and goes into the guest room and closes the door. I hear his hoarse cry of pain and his screams of anguish through the door…we all do, but no one says or does anything. What can we really do?

Later that night, Billy, Charlie, and Renee all go to bed. Jacob volunteered to sleep on the couch. I am still sitting in my recliner when he comes back into the room. I gesture to the pillow and blankets on the sofa and he just nods. His face is swollen and I can tell he has been crying all night. We sit in silence for a little while before he surprises me by speaking to me.

"Tonight, I could feel…I could feel this overwhelming sense of terror…something is wrong, Cullen." He tells me in a soft, fear-filled voice. His words fill me with anxiety and excruciating pain.

"I felt it, too." I tell him honestly and he looks at me but says nothing.

We sit in silence again. Jacob stands up and asks for the newspaper. I tell him it is probably still outside the apartment door. I don't really check it anymore. The news doesn't matter if it isn't about Bella.

Jacob comes back into the living room and he holds up a small white envelope. I feel so many emotions as I look at the envelope. Hope. Fear. Excitement. Terror.

Jacob hands me the envelope and I notice that my name is typed on the outside of the envelope. I open it carefully trying to touch it as little as possible in case fingerprints can be lifted. I pull out the single sheet of paper. Jacob leans over my shoulder to read it with me.

_By now you have discovered that I never intend to return your fiancé. She belongs to me now. I thought you should have this back for any future endeavors on your part to secure a new fiancé. _

_However, I am a generous man. I will allow her to call you and tell you goodbye at some point if she so wishes. Don't leave the apartment. You miss the call then you miss it. I will not allow her to call you again. _

That is when I see Isabella's engagement ring in the envelope as well. Tears blind me as I fall to my knees and hold the ring tightly against my chest. My heart is breaking. Jacob is clutching the letter in his hand now and dialing the police with his other hand. He intends to keep her. He intends to keep her for himself.

**Thoughts? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for those of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it so much! Please keep reviewing if you are interested in the story . This is a short chapter, but I promise to publish the next one soon. It ends on a cliffhanger…just wanted to warn you all!

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

I come back to myself a while later to see police swarming the apartment. Jacob is speaking to a detective. Charlie is speaking to some forensics guy attempting to lift prints off the letter and envelope. Billy is in the kitchen with another officer who is double checking the wiretap on the phone line. I see my cell phone on the coffee table and see that it is also hooked up to a wiretap. I remember that the letter said he was going to allow her to talk to me. Maybe I could talk to him…talk some sense into him. Offer him all the money he could possibly want. I would give him anything he asked for. Anything.

My parents arrive and go straight to the detective. Rosalie and Emmett are with them. They come straight to me and I tell them about the letter. Rosalie reaches out and grasps my hand in her own tightly. She is silently giving me support and I am grateful for it. Emmett stands up and goes to question some of the police. Emmett and Rosalie are three years older than Bella and me. Emmett is a high school football coach and Health teacher. He has not gone to work since Bella was taken. Rosalie told me he couldn't handle it. He couldn't face work. I know he loves Bella like his own sister. Bella and Emmett had such a cute relationship. Rosalie was a guidance counselor at the same school. She had still been going to work. She told me she couldn't stay home with Emmett like that anymore or she would go crazy. I understood what she meant.

Alice and Jasper walk into the apartment then and head straight over to Rosalie and me. Jasper keeps Alice in check by holding her hand. Rosalie quietly tells them what I told her and Emmett. Alice sobs loudly and Jasper holds her tightly with tears in his eyes as well.

"If he is going to let her call, maybe I can talk to him. I need to talk to him. If I offer him enough money then maybe…" my voice trails off. Jasper and Alice are nodding at me like they think it might work, but Rosalie is frowning.

"What is it Rose?" I ask her.

She looks at me with eyes filled with pain. "I don't think it is about money, Edward. Please don't get your hopes up." She tells me. I know others would think Rosalie was brutal, but I appreciate her honest and I always have.

The detective comes over to me with Charlie, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jacob.

"Edward, this could be a huge break for this case." He tells me excitedly.

I see Emmett glaring daggers at him and I feel the same way. "This is not just a damn case to us, detective!" Emmett roars.

My dad puts his arm around Emmett to calm him. "He knows that, son."

The detective turns his attention back to me. "Edward, we need to keep the kidnapper on the phone as long as possible. We can get a trace on a landline in one minute, a cell phone in three minutes, and even a cloned phone we can now get a trace on if you are on for five minutes."

I nod and he continues. "We will be recording the conversation to analyze later. We have private investigators and undercover officers and various locations throughout the city. We want to make sure that we can get to the location quickly before they move. We are going to send all but three of these officers away now so that if the kidnappers have anyone watching the house they will think the police have left…it may buy you some time on the phone."

"Should I offer him money? What should I say?" I don't want to screw this up.

"You should do whatever you have to do to keep him on the phone. We will put the call on speaker. Explain to the kidnapper you are doing that so all of her family may speak with her."

I process this quickly. I nod. He dismisses all the police except for himself, the forensic expert, and another officer. It is now six o'clock in the morning. I am on pins and needles…we all are. Rose and my mother are sitting by my side. Renee is crying softly in Charlie's arms. Jacob and Emmett are pacing the apartment like caged animals. My father, Billy, and Jasper are conferring with the police. Alice is sitting on the floor staring listlessly into space.

At 8:00 a.m., the phone rings. Everyone springs into action. I answer it, but leave it on speakerphone.

"Hello?"

"Edward…" Bella's broken voice responds.

**CLIFFHANGER! I know I am so mean! Thoughts? Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for those of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it so much! Please keep reviewing if you are interested in the story . This is another cliffhanger chapter. I like them. I hope you all enjoy it!

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

"Bella? Bella love! Are you all right?"

She doesn't respond for a moment and panic floods me.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."

What was she sorry for? "Bella, love. Don't be sorry for anything. Do you understand? I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you too." She says in a small, tear-filled voice. "It's all I hold onto now."

Her voice sounds defeated…hollow. My heart clenches. I hear the phone ripped out of her hands and her cry in protest.

"Well…I guess I should say something now. I assume you have all of Bella's family and yours around you right now?"

His voice is dark, evil, and raspy. "I do."

He laughs evilly. "Well then I guess they can all get a chance to tell her goodbye. You can go last there…Edward."

I want to kill this man. "What have you done to her?"

He laughs again. "Not nearly enough, yet."

I see red and rage clogs my entire body. Emmett and Jacob are shaking with rage.

"I am going to give my woman back the phone so she can close the door on her past pathetic life. I will be listening. If she says anything I don't like then she will pay for it, so be careful, Cullen."

"Please, I will give you as much money as you want. Anything you want is yours." I blurt out.

He laughs again. "Well thank you very much, but I have everything I could possibly want. I am rich too and now I have my Isabella."

His voice sounds somewhat familiar and I can see that Jacob and Charlie recognize it too. Jacob seems to figure it out, but I hold up a finger to my lips to silence him so he keeps it in.

"Now, Isabella, baby. Time to say goodbye so we can move forward together." His voice is low and threatening and I hear Bella whimper. Alice, Renee, and my mother are openly sobbing now.

"Edward…I love you."

"Baby, I love you too. Everyone is here. You can say whatever you want."

"Daddy?" She questions and Charlie responds instantly.

"I am here baby girl. I am right here. I love you. I won't give up on you, Bells."

"I love you daddy. Mom? If you are there can you please talk to me? I love you, mom."

Renee is sobbing. "I love you Bella. I love you. I can't do this. I need you."

Bella is crying too, but as always she is stronger than her mother. "Mom, you can do this. I need you to be strong now. I love you. You can do this. Charlie is there for you mom."

She nods and then Jacob pushes his way through.

"Bella, it's Jake."

"Jake." She breathes out in relief. There is that connection again.

"Bella, I know you are terrified and I know you are in a terrible situation. Fight it, Bella. Don't let him break you. You are stronger than he is. I love you, Bella. I will always love you."

She is crying. "I love you, Jake. I will try to stay strong. Send my love to Billy as well." Her voice falters on the word strong and we all hear the maniac's laugh again.

"Emmy?" She asks and Emmett answers immediately in a tear-clogged voice.

"Bella Bear. I am here. I am here." That stupid nickname forces me to exhale deeply so my throat doesn't close up.

"Emmett, take care of Edward for me. Please." I swear my heart is going to break.

Emmett is sobbing. "I promise I will until you come back to him. I love you Bella."

She is sobbing too. "I love you, Emmy. Alice?"

Alice can barely speak. "Bella, I love you. I love you sister."

Bella seems determined to speak to all of us. I notice the detective let himself out of the apartment quietly with his radio. They must have traced the call. I try to remain calm, but my entire body is shaking. "Alice, you are my sister. I love you so much. Be good to Jasper. I love you, Jaz."

Jasper's voice is hoarse as he replies. "I love you Bella. Please don't give up."

She doesn't reply to that. "Carlisle? Esme?"

"We're here, Bella." My dad responds.

"I need you to know that I love you both so much. You are my second parents. You are my family. I love you both so very much and I am so sorry for everything."

What is she apologizing for?

"Sweetheart, we love you. None of this is your fault. We miss you. We will see you soon." My mother tells her choking on sobs.

"We love you, Bella." My father says.

"Rose?" Bella asks in a shaky voice.

"I'm here, Bella." Rose's quiet, determined strong voice cuts through me.

"I am telling you this, Rose, because you are the strongest person I know. I need you to take care of Emmy. I need you to make sure Edward doesn't do anything foolish now. You need to take care of them, Rose. Please take care of Edward. I can't handle the thought of him suffering because of what will happen to me. Promise me, Rose. Promise me, that you will be with him now and that you will keep him safe."

"Bella, you can't give up!" I yell out. What the hell is she saying?

Rose answers her, ignoring me. "I promise, Bella. I understand. Please fight this. We need you."

Bella's cries get louder. "I just need to know that you are all going to be okay. Edward?"

"Bella." I say with tears coursing down my cheeks.

"Edward, you need to listen to me. You need to move on now. You need to let me go."

Anger courses through me and sadness engulfs me at the same time. Her voice is resigned. "No. I can never let you go."

Her voice is hysterical now. "Edward, please, I am already gone." I make eye contact with Jacob briefly and remember what he told me about Bella.

I shake my head no. "I don't believe that. I want you back, Bella. No matter what that sick bastard has done to you I want you back. I need you back. I won't survive without you."

"Edward…you…you are the most amazing man I have ever known. I love you with my whole heart and I always will, but you need to let me go. I am gone, Edward. I will never be your Bella again he has made sure of that." Her voice clogs with tears again and I feel the pain and anguish through the phone as her words cut into my heart. "I had…I had to say goodbye. He has allowed me to say goodbye. I just couldn't let you be stuck waiting for me because…because I am gone." Her words slice me over and over again with a serrated knife. I cannot let her go. Why is she trying to let me go? Because she has always been that selfless my inner voice screams at me. I say nothing and she continues. "I am so sorry you have to go through this. I could never allow Riley to hurt you…"

As soon as she said the name "Riley" I hear her scream and the phone goes dead.

"No!" I scream at the phone and tear at my hair.

Jacob starts yelling. "It is Riley Biers, Charlie." I see Charlie nod.

Riley had been obsessed with Bella in high school. She had never returned his interest. After we graduated he had made one last play for Bella and of course she told him she wasn't interested. That was the last time I had seen him. I hadn't even thought about him since then.

Alice starts to cry. "No, he can't be. No. Bella. Oh God, no."

I look at Alice in confusion along with everyone else. "Tell us, Alice." I urge quietly.

"I have seen him around. I didn't know he was obsessed with Bella. I knew he had a crush on her, but I never thought…" She takes a deep breath to calm herself down. "I spoke with him at that club three weeks ago. We got to talking. I told him you guys were having a guy's night…I told him that and he used it as an opportunity to take Bella."

Emmett's angry voice cuts through the silence in the room. "Why the hell would you tell him that, Alice?"

"I don't know. We were just talking like old friends. He always seemed nice enough in high school. I was complaining because you guys were getting a night out, but us girls had to wait until next weekend because Bella had to study."

No one says anything. I can't really blame Alice, but for some reason I am livid that she had spoken to the man who is torturing my love. Jasper puts an arm around her shoulders in comfort. No one says anything. No one.

The detective comes back into the room. "We know where they are. We are closing in now."

**CLIFFHANGER! I know I am so mean! Thoughts? Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for those of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it so much! Please keep reviewing if you are interested in the story . I know that this is another short chapter, but I promise that the next chapter will be MUCH longer! Forgive me?

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

We wait. It has been two hours since the detective told us they were closing in. We were all a wreck. Alice was crying earnestly saying that if Bella was not okay she would never forgive herself. Jasper was comforting her and I was grateful for him. I couldn't do anything right now.

I have an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Somehow I am not at all relieved. I can see that Jacob is uneasy too.

"Something isn't right." He tells me and I only nod. I don't want to talk about it right now. I just want to get a call from the police to say that they have Bella back. That is all that I want.

An hour later, the detective returns to the apartment. Everyone stares at him daring to hope, but I can read his face. They didn't rescue her.

"I am so sorry. They were already gone when we got there."

Pain. Irrevocable pain. Anguish. Terror.

"What?" Emmett screams while my father tries to calm him.

"How could you not get to them? Edward kept her on the line for nearly ten minutes!" Rose yells at the detective and actually pushes him. Jasper pulls her back and she cries in his arms.

The detective looks stricken. "We found out that one of our own officers was aiding this felon. We have the officer in custody and we are questioning her now."

"Who is it?" Charlie questions immediately.

"Her name is Victoria. She has been with the NYPD for three years, but last year her partner was killed in a shootout. His name was James. They were a couple. She has not been the same since."

I couldn't give a shit what happened to Victoria in the past. "Why would she help him? How did she even know him?" I yell at the officer.

The detective motions for us all to sit down and some do. Emmett, Charlie, Jacob, Rose, and I remain standing.

"Her new partner figured this all out. When he heard the name Riley he put it together. Ben Cheney brought her into the police station as soon as he made the connection. He told us that she has been dating Riley for the past six months. They were casual about it, but Victoria mentioned him often to Ben. He brought her in and now the she is being questioned mercilessly. We are hopeful that she will be able to tell us where Riley took Isabella."

"Is there any suspicious activity surrounding the death of her partner, James?" Jasper asks quietly. I had not even thought about that, but I can see that the detective has already made a connection in some way.

"James was killed by a drug lord. Victoria told Ben that she would get revenge on those who took her partner away from her. Riley was working for that drug cartel. We believe they were using each other to get what they wanted. The head of the drug cartel, Cauis Volturi, was killed a month ago and dumped in the river. Victoria had made comments to Ben after his death was discovered about justice being served. We now believe that Riley and Victoria killed Caius Volturi."

I try to process all of this and Jacob speaks up. "So, what could happen to Bella if the other druggies find out Riley killed their boss? Will she be caught in the crossfire?"

Panic fills me. I had not even thought about that, but Jacob made the connection quickly.

The detective sadly shakes his head. "We just don't know. We don't know if the cartel knows who killed their boss or not. We are keeping it very quiet, but we just don't know. All we do know is that Bella is not safe with him. We are going to offer Victoria some kind of deal so she will tell us where they are."

"I don't give a shit what kind of deal you have to make with her. Find my Bella. Find her." I yell out and then fall to my knees. My mother reaches for me and places a gentle hand on my shoulder and I wrench away from her. I stand up quickly and walk to our bedroom slamming the door behind me. I finally let all the tears I have been trying to contain slide down my cheeks. My throat burns as I swallow them. I yank at my hair trying to make it hurt so I won't drown in all this pain. I need her. I won't survive this without her.

**Thoughts? Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for those of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it so much! Please keep reviewing if you are interested in the story . I promised this one would be longer and it is! I hope you all enjoy it! . Please review!

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

Two days later, the detective returns to us. No one has left the apartment. I haven't left our bedroom. My mother has been bringing me food and I have been flushing it down the toilet so she will think I ate and not worry.

Emmett yells to me that the detective is here, so I hurry into the living room.

He looks excited. "We found them. Riley Biers is in custody and Isabella is on her way to the hospital."

Cries surround me and I immediately question the detective. "Is she all right?"

The detective looks at me carefully. "She will survive, but she will be in the hospital for a while. She has dozens of injuries." He looks away from my face and the tears in my eyes.

"I am here to escort you all to the hospital. We have enough police cars outside to take you all to the hospital. Charlie, Renee, Edward, and Jacob you can ride with me."

We all hurry out of the apartment. The four of us slide into the head police car with the detective. I sit up front and Charlie, Renee, and Jacob slide into the back. We make it to the hospital in five minutes.

The doctor is ready to meet with us. "Hello. My name is Doctor Michaelson. Are you Bella's family?"

"Yes." Charlie says including Jacob and I in his statement. "How is my baby girl?"

"Please, step into my office." He tells us opening his door and once we are all seated in his office he closes the door softly.

"Please tell us." Jacob says softly. I just stare at the doctor and will him to speak to us.

"Isabella has been through a very traumatic ordeal. I understand that she has been trapped with this man for over two weeks is that correct?"

"Yes." I murmur. He nods.

"She is a very strong young woman. People have died from much less, but Isabella will pull through. She will heal physically."

I wince as I realize what he is saying. Her injuries will heal, but her mind may not.

"Please tell us about her injuries." Charlie asks in a determined voice.

"Isabella is suffering from various injuries. She left wrist is broken. She has four broken ribs, a broken leg, a sprained ankle, two broken toes, and all the fingers on her left hand are also broken. Her spleen also ruptured so we had to remove it. There are also various burns and cuts all over her body." He pauses for a moment to look at us all carefully. My heart is broken…shattered. Why had this happened to her? Why?

Jacob is sobbing at this point and Renee is looking out the window and doesn't appear to mentally be in the room at all. Charlie is crying, but trying to remain calm for the doctor to finish. I try to copy his actions and do the same.

"There are other internal injuries. Do you want everyone in this room to hear about them? It is disturbing."

As if what he already said wasn't disturbing enough? Charlie nodded so the doctor continued.

"She suffered severe injuries as a result of the sexual abuse. There were tears that we had to sew up and we had to remove one of her ovaries. It was too badly damaged to be kept. This may affect her ability to bear children."

A sob escapes my throat and I put my head in my hands. My Bella and I may not be able to have children because of this monster.

"We have sedated her so that her body can begin to repair. You are welcome to see her, but please only four at a time in the room with her. The detective told me you have a rather large family that would want to see her."

"Yes." It is all Charlie can manage to say in a broken voice. I continue to sob. I am surprised when Charlie puts his arm around my shoulders and I cry even harder finally letting my tears drown me.

"Son, let's go see her." He tells me and I nod. Jacob actually helps me to my feet and keeps ahold of my arm as I stagger out of the office. The rest of the family is in the hallway. I shake my head at them and they follow us quietly down the hall. I hear Jacob whisper to Jasper about only four in at a time. Jasper nods and relays the message to everyone else.

When we stop outside of her door, I pull away from Jacob and stand up straight. I need to be strong for her.

The doctor speaks to our entire group. "You need to prepare yourselves for what you will see. Most of what you will see is worse than it looks. She will heal from these injuries. It will just take a great deal of time."

However, nothing the doctor says prepares me when I walk into the room. My Bella is covered in black and blue bruises. Her arm is bandaged from her elbow all the way to her fingers on her left arm. Her right leg is in a cast and her left ankle is in a brace. I walk up next to her and sit down in the chair closest to her. I reach out and take her right hand in my own. I stare at her battered fingers. There are cuts and burns up and down her arm and her left leg. I am sure there is more damage that is covered by the hospital gown and bandages. I don't know if I can see anymore right now.

I am going to kill him. I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt. I am going to kill Riley Biers with my own two hands.

"I am going to help you." Jacob says in a low voice and I realize I had spoken my last words aloud.

"Not if I get to him first." Charlie snarls. He leans over and places a gentle kiss on Bella's cheek. He wipes at a few tears that have gathered in his eyes before he looks at Renee with concern.

Renee still says nothing. She looks at Bella blankly. Charlie speaks quietly to the doctor and very soon a wheelchair appears for Renee. Charlie whispers to her that he wants her to get checked out, but she doesn't even respond to him. She is not with us in any way right now. Jacob and Charlie walk out of the room to allow others into the room. I refuse to leave. I sit by her bed and hold her hand tightly in my own and just look at her. I kiss her hand and her forehead. I sob softly.

"I am so sorry love. I am so so sorry." I cry and bury my head against her hand. I feel gentle fingers on my shoulder and look up to see my mother's face. Emmett, mom, and dad have come into the room to see Bella.

Emmett immediately starts crying as he kneels on the other side of her bed. He gingerly touches her cheek and speaks to her softly. "Bella Bear. I am so sorry. Forgive me, please." He murmurs as he cries harder. He looks at me and his face is a mask of pain and rage. "We are going to make that bastard pay for this, Edward." His voice is low and threatening.

"Yes we are." I say quietly.

We both stand for a minute and Carlisle goes to the side Emmett had been on while my mother takes my seat by Bella's bed and takes her hand.

"My sweet, sweet girl. I love you, Bella. Come back to us sweetheart. We love you." My mom cries softly holding her hand gently.

My dad brushes her cheek and then places his hand gently over my mom's hand on top of hers. "Bella, It's Carlisle sweetheart. We are here. You are safe now. You are going to be okay." He is talking in such a reassuring voice.

He leaves the room and I hear him ask the doctor to see Bella's chart. My mom leaves the room as well. Emmett and I remain in the room as Rose and Alice enter with Jasper.

"They told me I could come with them." Jasper says quietly and I just nod. The look on Alice's face shatters me again as she looks at Bella. She immediately sits beside her and takes her hand while Jasper stands behind her holding onto her shoulders for support as he looks at my Bella. Tears fills his eyes as well and he has to look away, trying to wipe them discreetly with his sleeve.

"Bella, it's Alice. I love you." She starts crying even harder. "This is all my fault…please forgive me." She cries. Jasper hugs her. Alice gets up quietly to let Rose sit by Bella.

I remember Bella's message to Rose on the phone. She was so specific in what she told Rose. She knew that Rose would be able to watch out for me. She trusts Rose. She loves Rose. I know Rose loves her too. She knew Alice first, but she and Rose are best friends.

She takes Bella's hand and tears slide down her cheeks. "Bella, it's Rose. I know right now it feels like your life is over. I know you feel like you have nothing to live for. You are wrong. I promise you. I know what you are feeling. I want you to know that you are worth it. You are still the strong person you have always been. Riley Biers is the damn coward and bastard. I need you to hear these words, Bella. I will be here to say them to you for as long as you need me to say them. Never give up on life. The doctor told me you could hear us. I just needed to tell you that. You need to come back to us. I love you."

I am moved by Rosalie's words and surprised as well. What was she talking about? How did Rose know what she was going through? I look to Emmett for help, but he is staring at Rose with such love and admiration. Rose and Emmett have been together for three years. Did something happen to Rosalie before she got with Emmett? What had happened to her?

I sit down in the chair when Rose stands up. I whisper to her quietly, but I need to tell her so much. "I love you so much. I love you. I need you. You have to come back to me, love. I am nothing without you. I need you. I am here. You are safe." I can't say enough. I constantly kiss her hand and her forehead. I am afraid to touch her anywhere else because of all the injuries.

Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper leave the room and Jacob enters pushing Billy's wheelchair. I step away from Bella's bedside so Jacob can sit beside her. I go over to stand in the corner by the door to give them some privacy. I won't leave her room because I can't stand to be away from her, but I can give Jacob and Billy some space. They love Bella, too. She is family to them.

"Bells, I…" Jacob starts and breaks down. Billy places a comforting hand on his back. Jacob grasps her hand gently in his. "Bells, I am sorry…I promised I would always protect you…you should have told me that someone was following you…I…I failed you."

His sobs make him shake, but he continues speaking. "I love you. I have always loved you. I know you are different now…you feel different don't you? I want you to know that it changes nothing, Bells. I still love you the same. No matter what that sick sadistic bastard did to you…I will always love you. We are going to kill him, Bella. I promise you. Edward and I are going to kill him. He will never come near you again. You will always be safe now."

He continues to try and reassure her. Bella doesn't move once. I know she is heavily sedated and I am grateful that she is getting a chance to rest. I am worried about how she will feel when she wakes up. How different will she be?

**Thoughts? Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for those of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it so much! Please keep reviewing if you are interested in the story . I am sorry it has taken me a few days to update. I hope you still like the story. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please review!

**Summary:** Edward had everything he had ever wanted: love, money, family, and success. He was madly in love with his fiancé, Bella Swan. During their senior year of college, Edward comes home after a night out with Emmett and Jasper to find Bella gone. Edward is heartbroken and devastated. He remembers Bella saying she felt like she was being followed and now she is gone. Who took her? How can he get her back? Join Edward on a journey through his flashbacks of their past and his determination to find her in the present so they can have a future together.

**Edward's POV**

Bella has been heavily sedated for two days. The doctor told me that they are going to try and wean her off of the sedation today. No one leaves. I don't know who Carlisle bribes, but we are given a private room next to Bella's for those who are not with Bella to use. We have even worked out a schedule of sorts…I never leave Bella, but the others are on a rotation. I know Charlie would never leave Bella either, but Renee is very ill. They are concerned she had a psychotic break and is no longer in touch with reality. I hope she feels better soon. I know Bella and she will blame herself for not being able to protect her mother. She always has to protect her mother. I was glad that Bella had my mom to be a mom to her. She needed a mom too.

Charlie told me that Riley Biers had been arraigned and was denied bail…thank god for small favors. He was currently in the county lock up and the police kept him tightly under wraps with no privileges. However, they were careful not to violate his rights because they didn't want him to get off on a technicality. Charlie also told me that Riley said he was innocent. He said that he and Bella were in love and she had left me to be with him. He said Bella would back this up when she woke up. I knew there was no way that really happened. She had never given Riley the time of day and I knew she would never have left me for that jerk.

However, Charlie also told me that they D.A. said they didn't really have much of a case if Bella did not testify. I was very concerned about this because I am not sure if Bella will be able to talk about it at all. I know Bella is strong. She always has been, but I feel that this is different. Jacob feels it too. We sit by her bedside and talk like friends.

"You know that she is never going to be the same, right?" He asks me as we sit by her bed waiting for her to wake up.

I nod. "I don't care. I just want her back. I love her. Nothing that happened will ever change how I feel about her."

He looks relieved and nods at me in approval. "Good, because I might have had to kick your ass!" He tells me seriously.

"I would have let you." I tell him back. "This is my fault after all." I tell him and my voice wavers on the last word.

Jacob shakes his head no. "No, I was wrong to blame you. If he wanted her, then he would have gotten her at some point. I was just so terrified she would never come back. I am still worried about that…" He pauses for a minute and then looks at me and says words that tear at my heart. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but the connection we share is different now. It is like she is blocking it or something. She doesn't want me to know her feelings. She doesn't want to let me into her head right now or maybe ever again. She is shutting me out…to…to protect me or something. I can't really explain it."

I know most people would laugh at what Jake was talking about, but not me. I have been a witness to the many times it has worked. To the day when Bella was freaking out about losing Jake's friendship bracelet he gave her (he showed up at her doorstep with it in his hand…she must have lost it at his place), to her panic whenever her mother did something crazy (Jake would always call her and talk her down), to her anxiety about college or just life in general….Jacob had always sensed her feelings. Bella had always sensed his as well. They were so much like brother and sister…so attuned with one another. The fact that that had changed worried me very much. Was Bella going to come back to us? Would she ever get to be herself again?

Three hours later, Rose, Emmett, Esme, and I are sitting with Bella when she starts shaking on the bed. The shaking is uncontrollable. It panics me. Emmett races out to get a doctor. Carlisle runs into the room.

"She is seizing. Her body is weakened and in shock." He told us before he started giving orders to the nurses that entered the room. My father could take charge in any hospital apparently and I was relieved he was here looking after Bella. Esme starts to cry and Emmett holds her. Rose calmly holds her hand and speaks words of encouragement to her. I stare down at her with tears in my eyes. Rose is providing Bella with a calming influence and I can't. Eventually, the medicine kicks in and the shaking stops.

Carlisle and her other doctor take her to run some more tests. I sink down to the floor and put my head in my hands. My mother comes to me immediately. Charlie comes barreling into the room.

"What happened? I was with Renee and then the nurse told me I was needed here. Where is my Bells? Is she okay?" He asks with fear in his voice.

Rose explains what happened to him and he sits with us to wait.

Carlisle comes back into the room to speak with us.

"Bella's body has gone through some terrible ordeals. The seizure was her way of telling us that she is not ready to wake up yet. Her body needs more time in sedation in order to begin the healing process. However, we are concerned by the amount of weight she has already lost. We are feeding her intravenously and we are going to up her dosage. We want to keep her sedated for two more days and then we will try to wean her off again."

While I processed this, Carlisle told Charlie that he was now Bella primary care physician and that as soon as he wanted to we could transfer Bella and Renee back to Seattle should he choose to do so. Charlie nodded but looked to me.

"Edward, would you mind if we all went back to Seattle?" I shake my head no. I can't do anything here anyway, not without her. I don't plan to leave the hospital until she comes with me so the location doesn't matter much to me and it would be easier for everyone else in Seattle.

"Seattle is fine with me, Charlie. I am not leaving her side."

**Thoughts? Next chapter, Bella will wake up. What do you think will happen? I would love to hear your thoughts!**

**Please review!**

**Thank you so much for those of you who are reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it so much!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for the reviews over the next chapter! I hope you like this chapter. There is a little background in this chapter. I still hope you like it. Please review! Thanks so much!

**Edward's POV**

While Bella is under heavy sedation, Carlisle said it will be the best time for her to travel. We all agree with him. Charlie and I ride with Bella and Renee in the helicopter. Carlisle also rides with us to monitor Bella's vitals. There is not much he can do for Renee. She needs to be under psychiatric care. Charlie was really worried about both of them. I felt sorry for him.

Everyone else was flying back this afternoon. They would be at the hospital in the middle of the night. Carlisle told them to head home and get some sleep, but I knew that wasn't happening. Alice had just graduated college the previous semester with a degree in Fashion design. She had arranged with her boss to work from Seattle. Jasper took a leave of absence from his job. He is in the military. A lieutenant in the army. Fortunately, he did not have to leave the country often. He trained the young soldiers. He and Alice had been dating for three years. They had met at a club one night. Alice said it was like she knew he was coming. She had been waiting for a man like Jasper her entire life. I knew Jasper had planned to propose to Alice a week ago on their three year anniversary, but with Bella's disappearance of course he didn't do that.

Rosalie and Emmett each took some time off as well. It was the end of April, so they would only be missing the month of May. Emmett didn't need to start with football until August and his school was very understanding about finding him a substitute teacher to cover his classes for the rest of the school year. Rose was able to hand her cases over to the other counselor. She took some data from the other counselor to work on in Seattle.

We touched down in Seattle on top of the hospital. I knew it had been several hours but I had barely noticed. I just held tightly to Bella's hand the entire flight and watched her sleep. She looked peaceful in sleep right now, but I knew it was only because she was heavily sedated. Carlisle was going to wean her off sedation as soon as she was settled in a room at the hospital after he takes her vitals.

I am grateful that my father is her doctor. I know that he will make her his number one priority. He loves her like a daughter. Charlie had slept most of the flight and I realize he probably hasn't slept at all. Ever spare moment he had was spent between Renee and Bella. I am happy that Charlie's girlfriend, Sue Clearwater, would be able to help him once we got home. She didn't come out with him because she had Seth to take care of, but I know that Jake and Charlie had been calling them at least three times a day with updates. Seth's sister, Leah, was even concerned about Bella. Leah and Bella had never really gotten along. Bella just said they were different, but I knew better. Leah was jealous of Bella and Jake's relationship. She was in love with Jake and he wasn't interested in her. Leah knew that Jake had always been in love with Bella. I knew it too, but I was secure in my relationship with Bella so I let it go. Jake would never do anything to hurt Bella. He had told her once how he felt and she had let him down easily. They had barely missed a step in their friendship…just picking up where they left off. I know Bella was relieved that she wouldn't lose her best friend.

Jake worked as a mechanic in Seattle. He and his friends (Quil and Embry) owned a garage. They ran a fine business and made good money. Whenever Rose was in Seattle she would go and work with them. She loved working on cars and Jake had admitted she was very good at it. Jake had told me before we left New York that he had no intention of returning to work until Bella had woken up and spoken to him. I believed him. I also knew that even then I wouldn't be able to leave Bella.

My father had contacted NYU to explain the situation with Bella and myself. I am a Music major and Bella is an English major. We were both set to graduate in two months. Bella already had a job lined up. She had interned at a publishing company in New York and they had offered her a job. It started in October. Bella was excited because that meant she could plan the wedding and enjoy a few quiet months with me before she started work. I was planning to compose music and work on musicals in the New York scene. It was not steady work, but once I got into the musical scene it would be. Bella urged me to follow my dreams. She insisted that she didn't care about money and I believed her. Bella is not materialistic in any sense of the word and I know she wanted to be a book editor and wanted me to be a musician because that was what I wanted.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts and my father is helping the medical staff unload Bella and then the psychiatrist team come up to the roof and gently help Renee into a wheelchair. She has not spoken since she talked with Bella on the phone. She is lifeless and shows no emotion. Charlie looks conflicted by whom to go with. I want to ease his discomfort.

"I'll stay with Bella and let you know immediately if anything changes, Charlie." He looks relieved and pats me on the back before hurrying after Renee. Renee and Charlie got divorced when Bella was little. Bella stayed with her father because her mother had always been like a kid herself. Renee had married a minor league baseball player, Phil. I wasn't sure where he was. Charlie had tried calling him, but there had been no answer. Renee hadn't told us that anything had happened between them, but I was starting to wonder. Charlie finally called the minor league team headquarters on the helicopter and they promised to get the message to Phil.

I take a deep breath and clear my head. I refuse to let go of Bella's hand and Carlisle tells his team to do their best to work around me. Wise of him I thought. I was not going to leave Bella…possibly ever again.

After getting Bella settled, Carlisle took Bella to run more tests. I stayed in the room and dazed off into space. How could this have happened to her? How could I have let this happen to her? What had he done to her? I was very worried about what kind of sexual abuse she had to endure. Had it been very painful? I know I shouldn't be thinking about it, but I couldn't think about anything else. There was nothing else I could think about except the hell that she went through. I wondered if she would ever be able to talk about it. Could I be ready to hear it? I would. I would be ready to hear anything she told me. I know that whatever she told me would not change how I felt about her.

We were getting married in 3 ½ months. August 14th was our wedding date. We were going to get married in the beautiful old Christian church my parents had been married in just outside of Seattle. It was to be a small, intimate wedding with just family and very close friends. Bella and I invited just a few friends from high school: Angela, Jessica, Eric and the vile Mike Newton. I still detest Mike Newton. He always flirted with Bella in high school and even when we were home for breaks in college he would flirt shamelessly with her in front of anyone. He and Jessica were casually dating for a while, but I am not sure if they are anymore and I don't really care.

The only person from high school that both Alice and Bella still spoke to on a regular basis was Angela Webber. Angela had just finished school with a degree in photography. She worked for the Seattle Times newspaper as a photographer. Alice told me that she had texted Angela to let her know that Bella had been found. She also talked to her and told her we were headed to Seattle so I was sure she would make an appearance soon.

Carlisle came back with Bella and told me that her vitals were all good and she was ready to be weaned off of the sedation medication. I am happy, but also nervous. What if she had another seizure? What if she never woke up? I know that she will wake up, but will My Bella truly ever come back to me? Will she want me anymore? My dad breaks me out of these depressing thoughts to tell me that she should wake up later this afternoon. I text Charlie, Emmett, Jacob, and Alice the news. Then I take my spot next to her bed and hold her hand. I lay my head on our entwined hands and somehow manage to sleep.

_My dreams are filled with Bella. My beautiful Bella. I remember our first kiss in the rain in front of her house. I remember the first time we told one another "I love you." I remember the first time we made love. All of these memories are forever engraved in my heart, but they are now following me into my dreams. _

_I float in the pleasantness of these dreams because I sense that it will be a long time before I get to kiss her again, or make love to her again I float on the fluffy clouds of dreams until consciousness can longer be kept at bay and I surrender myself to the inevitable and open my eyes._

When I wake up I can tell it is late afternoon, possibly early evening. Charlie is sitting on the other side of the bed and he attempts to smile at me.

"How long did I sleep?" I ask in a gruff voice.

"You have been asleep for over thirteen hours, son." He tells me gently.

I sit up in a panic and look at Bella who is still sleeping, but the look of peace on her face is gone. "Did she wake up?" I ask. "How did I sleep so long?" I demand.

Charlie walks over to my side of the bed. "Son, I don't think you have really slept since she was taken have you?"

I shake my head no. "I couldn't." I tell him honestly.

"Me either." He says softly. "I fell asleep in a chair outside of Renee's room for a while. Phil finally decided to show up. Apparently they don't really check the home phone anymore. Something to do with answering service or something. He has been calling Renee's cell phone for days. I have no idea where her phone even is…she is always losing it. Phil was in New York when the team got ahold of him on his cell phone. He just got here."

I am relieved that Phil is here for Renee so Charlie can focus on Bella.

"I'm glad he's here." I say quietly.

Charlie nods and we sit in silence for a few minutes before he speaks again. "Angela is here with Mike, Jessica, and Eric. I told them to wait in the waiting room or to go home and I would call them when Bella woke up. I would allow Angela back here, but how I do that and not allow the others."

I know he doesn't like Mike either. I look at my phone and notice that I have ten texts and a few missed calls. How did I sleep through all that? I notice that everyone is here. I send Alice a text and told her to bring only Angela into the room and not the others who came with her. I tell Charlie what I did and he smiles.

"Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper were in here earlier. They are all good kids." He says softly before going to sit back down in his chair. "Jake and Billy went home for a little bit. Jake is coming back in an hour or so. He had to take Billy home and he went to pick up some things for Bella at the house."

I stare at him wide eyed and feel guilt seep through me. "I didn't bring her anything from the apartment. How could I forget to bring her things? What was wrong with me? The only thing I had with me was her engagement ring.

"Sure you did, kid." He tells me. "Alice went back to your apartment and packed a bag for her." He said gesturing over to the corner where three suitcases were stacked high.

"Jeez, Alice." I mutter under my breath, but I am relieved Bella will have some of her own things.

"She is thorough." Charlie says with a small smile.

My dad breaks up the moment by striding into the room confidently. "She should be awake within half an hour or so. Keep talking to her. She will come around. I am going to stay in here to see how she reacts when she wakes up."

We wait. I talk to her. Charlie talks to her and then my dad talks to her. Jake enters the room twenty minutes later and leans in to kiss her on the forehead. He takes a seat beside Charlie to wait with us.

Ten minutes later, Jake's head whips up and he stands close to the bed.

"Bella, I know you are awake. You need to open your eyes now. You are safe. He is in jail." He tells her gently.

I squeeze her hand tightly. "Bella? Honey, are you awake?"

I watch as her eyelids flutter and then Charlie leans over. "Bells?"

Hearing our voices Bella opens her eyes slowly. I have been dreaming about those beautiful chocolate brown eyes for weeks. Nothing could be better. I start crying as the tears flow down my cheeks. I bring her hand up to my lips and plant a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

"Hey beautiful." I tell her. She turns to look at me. Her eyes fill with tears as our eyes meet. I let the tears fall down my cheeks and don't attempt to wipe them away.

She pulls her hand out of my grasp and pulls it to her chest hugging herself. She murmurs something too low for me to hear.

"What is it, Bella, love?" I ask her carefully. She wraps her arms (even the damaged one) against her chest and puts her head down on top of them as far as she can. She starts humming and then she places her hands over her ears to block us out. She is scaring me.

I go to take her hand again when Carlisle stops me. "Edward, don't." He says gently.

Bella keeps saying the same things over and over again, but she is mumbling and I can't hear it. Jake leans in to listen, careful not to touch her, and steps back with tears flowing down his cheeks.

"What is she saying?" I ask him earnestly.

Jake clears his throat before talking. "I'm not Bella anymore." He says with a tear filled voice.

**Thoughts? I know I am evil to stop here, but at least Bella woke up .**

**Please review!**

**Thank you so much for those of you who are reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it so much!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! Bella and Edward get some time together in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Please review and let me know what you think!

Also, I wanted to say that I will finish this story. I finish all my stories. I have this story planned up until the end with only a few things I am considering tweaking a little. I hope you like the story so far. There is still a ways to go.

**Edward's POV**

_Hearing our voices Bella opens her eyes slowly. I have been dreaming about those beautiful chocolate brown eyes for weeks. Nothing could be better. I start crying as the tears flow down my cheeks. I bring her hand up to my lips and plant a gentle kiss on the back of her hand._

"_Hey beautiful." I tell her. She turns to look at me. Her eyes fill with tears as our eyes meet. I let the tears fall down my cheeks and don't attempt to wipe them away._

_She pulls her hand out of my grasp and pulls it to her chest hugging herself. She murmurs something too low for me to hear._

"_What is it, Bella, love?" I ask her carefully. She wraps her arms (even the damaged one) against her chest and puts her head down on top of them as far as she can. She starts humming and then she places her hands over her ears to block us out. She is scaring me. _

_I go to take her hand again when Carlisle stops me. "Edward, don't." He says gently._

_Bella keeps saying the same things over and over again, but she is mumbling and I can't hear it. Jake leans in to listen, careful not to touch her, and steps back with tears flowing down his cheeks. _

"_What is she saying?" I ask him earnestly._

_Jake clears his throat before talking. "I'm not Bella anymore." He says with a tear filled voice._

Jake's words fill me with despair and pain. Hot, intense pain drips all over my body like hot wax scalding and burning as those words register. Not Bella anymore. What does that even mean? She is still humming with her hands over her ears so she can't hear us. She is rocking back and forth and quiet sobs escape her. I want to pull her into my arms and hold her. Jake and Charlie are thinking the same thing, but Carlisle tells us that we need to wait. He doesn't want us to cause Bella to go into shock.

If this isn't shock then what is it? Why doesn't she want me to touch her? My father whispers in my ear. "Think about what touch means to hurt right now, Edward. She was very possibly hurt every single time that bastard touched her. Give her a moment." I nod my head, but don't take my eyes off my Bella.

Slowly, her sobs subside and she stops humming and rocking herself. Then she removes her hands from over her ears and looks up at me. Her eyes blur with tears. "I am so…so sorry, Edward." She tells me. Nothing can stop me now. I pull her into a huge hug. I am careful with her, but I hold her tightly in my arms.

"You have nothing to apologize for." I tell her hoarsely. "I love you. I love you so much." I cry harder as sobs wrack my body as I hold her close to me. Her arms eventually encircle my own and she is hugging me back. I feel her sobs shake her body as well. Finally, I reluctantly release her from the hug because I know that Jake and Charlie will want a hug as well. I look at her face when I release her. She looks into my eyes for a moment before she looks away quickly. Her eyes are filled with so much sadness and so much pain. It physically hurts me to see her in this pain. My father places a comforting hand on my shoulder and I appreciate the gesture.

She turns to her father then. "Daddy." She says softly and Charlie rushes forward to hug her tightly. "I love you my baby. I knew we would get you back I knew it. I knew you would come back to us!" His words cause Bella to get a faraway look in her eyes and I sense her trying to close herself off from us. Before I can even react, Jake does.

Charlie releases her from the hug, his cheeks sopping wet with tears. Jake pulls her in next and he starts whispering to her, but I manage to catch it. "Don't close yourself off from us, Bells. We love you. Don't close yourself off from me ever again, please. I feel empty without you." Bella starts crying again, but doesn't say anything. Usually Jake and Bella don't have to say anything to know how the other's thoughts. Jake seems satisfied with their "conversation" because when he pulls back he whispers "thank you" before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Carlisle rushes forward then, anxious for his turn. He gives her and gentle hug then becomes the surgeon once again,

"Bella, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

She looks at him with wide frightened eyes and then shrugs. I know she is terrified that we know what she endured at the hands of that sadistic monster. Carlisle tries again.

"Bella, are you in any pain?"

She doesn't even seem to process the question. She turns her head and stares out the window.

I decide to try. "Bella, love, don't downplay anything. Tell Carlisle if you are in any discomfort or pain."

She turns to look at me with cold eyes. I have never seen her look at me that way before. It is like she is detached from all of us in the moment. As soon as Carlisle asked her about her injuries she shut herself off to us.

She then turns to Carlisle. I see Jake flinch slightly. She still doesn't say anything.

"Would you like Jacob, Edward, and your father to leave while we have this conversation?" He asks her carefully.

She grasps my hand tightly in her own involuntarily before she realizes she has done it and lets it go. My father notices it though and asks Charlie and Jake if they could step out for a moment. They both agree quickly and leave the room. Jake leans over and whispers something in her ear that I can't catch, but it causes Bella to relax a little instantly. As soon as the door is shut, Carlisle pulls up the chair that Jake was sitting in on her other side.

We both sit and wait for her to talk to us. Finally, after ten minutes of silence, she opens her mouth to speak to us.

"How much do you know?" She asks in a whisper without looking at either one of us.

She knows that doctors can tell something through examination. She is ashamed and it burns through me and makes it painful for me to breathe. Carlisle answers her quietly.

"We know that you were badly beaten, probably tortured, and…sexually abused."

Bella's breathing becomes labored and she starts hyperventilating. My father calms her the best he can, but it isn't working. I grip Bella's uninjured hand tightly in my own.

"Baby, breathe in and out. I put her hand to my chest so she can try to match her breathing with mine. Eventually, it works and she calms. I have to talk to her. I can't have her be ashamed of what happened to her.

"Bella, love, you have nothing to be ashamed of. He is the monster sweetheart. He is the one who will pay for hurting you like this. He will pay for this! I promise you that!" Anger courses through my body for Riley Biers. When I got my hands on that miserable excuse for a person he was going to wish he had never been born.

She is looking at me with wide eyes filled with terror. "No, Edward. You have to leave him alone! Just let him go!"

I stand up and step back a step in shock. Her eyes are filled with terror…she is terrified for me? But why? Then I think I understand. "Sweetheart, his contact from the police has also been arrested honey. He is in jail. He can't touch you anymore."

I see a little of the terror dissipate in her eyes, but she is still leery. Carlisle speaks up. "Did he threaten Edward, Bella?"

She turns to him with a nod. "If I tried to run or if I got away from him he said that his friend would kill Edward." She says with a shaky voice.

I sit back down in the seat and take her hand again in mine. "Bella, nothing is going to happen to either of us now. We are safe."

She tries to digest this before speaking carefully. "Edward, what I told you on the phone was true. I am not your Bella anymore. I never can be again. He…he made sure of that." She says brokenly. "You should let me go and move on now." Her voice breaks on the last word.

I don't hesitate as I pull her into my arms again. "You will always be my Bella no matter what happened to you with that monster. If I lost you then my life would be over. I have done nothing since you were taken from me. Nothing. I sat around all day every day and stared into the nothingness that my life had become. That is what my life is without you…nothing. If he had killed you, then I couldn't have survived it. I would have followed you into death." I pause for a moment and then pull back and look at her through the blur of tears in my eyes. She is looking at me with love and heart wrenching sadness. I almost whimper the last words. "Don't you understand my feelings for you at all?"

Her deep intake of breath indicates that I have gotten through to her. I kiss her gently on the forehead afraid to try and kiss her yet after all that she has gone through.

"I do." She whispers hoarsely. "It is the same way I feel about you." She tells me.

She still loves me! She still wants me! I am relieved. We will get through whatever has happened to her together. I know that. I pull her close to me and lean in to give her a tender kiss on the lips, unable to help myself. She leans in as well eager for our contact. She kisses me back tenderly. We share a sweet kiss. I actually forgot my dad was in the room. He is making himself scarce in the corner of the room pretending to look at her chart giving us a little time for our reunion.

I pull away much sooner than I want to, but I am nervous to frighten her. She smiles slightly at me. Her eyes are a little less tortured as she looks at me with love.

My father comes back to sit in his chair as we both wait for Bella to tell us what has happened to her. My heart is dreading the story because I know it will shatter me to hear what happened to my love while she had been with that savage. I will try not to react to anything she tells us. I will just hold her hand and be supportive of her in every way I possibly can.

Bella takes a deep breath before she begins to speak.

**Thoughts? I am curious if you liked it or not. **

**I am thinking about switching this story to an M rating because we are going to learn a lot about what happened to Bella and I want to make sure I don't go too overboard. Does anyone have a problem with me changing the rating? Or would you prefer me to tone it down so I don't have to change from the T rating? I would love to know what you think. Thanks so much!**

**Please review!**

**Thank you so much for those of you who are reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it so much!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! Bella opens up a little here and Edward is his sweet self as well. I hope you enjoy! Please review!

**Edward's POV**

Bella seems terrified to speak about her what happened to her. I know she is also ashamed. Even though this is not her fault, she blames herself. Bella would never blame anyone for anything. She hasn't even really said anything about Riley. Why not?

She takes a deep breath and begins.

"It started the first day I was taken. I wasn't…receptive to him. He had to punish me. It is my fault that I made him punish me."

I swallow the bile that has risen in my throat at her words as I look at her broken leg, sprained ankle and broken arm and fingers. Why would she think it was her fault? The thought sickens me even more, but I remain quiet so she can speak.

"He didn't touch me sexually right away. He would just punish me because I had never chosen him. He would tell me daily that I didn't love you. If I would argue with him then he would hurt me. If I wouldn't tell him I was over you then he would hurt me."

Tears fall down my cheeks, but Bella doesn't cry. Maybe she can't right now. Her eyes are distant as if she is not even with us now. It is almost as if she is on the outside looking in and not really there herself. I have heard that victims do that at times to be able to cope. My Bella is a victim…my precious girl.

"I…I got to see your news conference. You…you begged for him to let me go. You reached out to me. I swear Edward that your words made what happened over those next few days as bearable as they could be…please know that."

I squeezed my eyes shut momentarily and feel her pain. I feel what he had taken from her – what had been ripped away from her. I felt her anger, hurt, and sadness. I also felt my own blinding rage and hostility.

"When he told me I was allowed to call you and tell you goodbye. I was relieved…because I would get to speak with you again. I wanted to…I wanted to tell you to move on without me because after what…" She stops and closes her eyes for a moment and shakes her head as if shaking off a memory. "After what happened to me…I…I wasn't me anymore." She stops for a second and turns to look at me. "I'm not the Bella you fell in love with anymore. She is gone." She tells me flatly. Her eyes look dead. The look in her eyes terrifies me, but as I open my mouth to speak she goes on. It's like she wants me to leave her for my benefit. As if that was even possible. I can't live without her.

"Please don't ask me to share the details of those days because…because I just can't. I held onto those words Edward and they kept me alive, but a part of me died at the same time. All I know is that I am no good for you anymore." She finishes.

I clutch her hand tightly in mine and she finally looks me in the eye.

"Bella, you are still here. I know who you are. I love you. If you are different now, then I will accept that and love you just as much. You are the other half of my soul. I will die without you. Don't you know that by now?"

She looks at me and tears fill her eyes. "I may never be able to be a wife the way you will need a wife, Edward. The thought of being intimate…I just can't. I don't want you to settle…to settle for that. You deserve so much more than what is left of me." She tells me with tears running in two streams down her cheeks.

I wipe them away gently with my hand before leaning in close to her face, sitting on the bed beside her. "Listen baby. I love you! I want to marry you. If you can't be intimate with me, I will survive that. What I can't survive is a life without you." I tell her honestly. How could she think I would be settling with her? That sick bastard was going to pay for this!

She looks at me and her eyes are cloudy with emotion. "I can't survive without you either." She tells me. "Are you sure, Edward? You still want to marry me now?" She asks with hesitation.

I take the opportunity to take her engagement ring out of my pocket. Her eyes overflow with more tears as a small smile graces her face. "May I?" I ask her indicating her finger. She nods slowly and I slide it back on her finger. She manages to maintain the small smile as she looks at the ring. I know she is thinking about the time I proposed and all our happy times planning our wedding.

She looks at me in wonder. "Are we still keeping our wedding date?" She asks me.

I kiss her forehead tenderly and stroke her cheek. "I'm counting on it, love." I tell her.

Our conversation must have exhausted her because she falls asleep quickly thereafter. Carlisle takes me to the corner of the room to speak to me.

"Edward, there are some things she is not telling us." He says worriedly.

I look at my father in confusion and fear. "Why do you say that?"

He looks me in the eye. "Without being too graphic, son, she has been abused longer than she says. Her injuries show that the sexual abuse started over two weeks ago."

I feel so confused. That means the abuse started the day he took her or a day or two later. Why would she lie about it? He had been hurting her nearly the entire time if not the entire time.

My father sees my confusion and tries to clear it up. "She may not remember it all right now or have the times mixed up in her head. She could still be in shock or be suffering from post-traumatic stress. Or it could simply be…" He trails off and I jump on it instantly.

"What? It could be what?"

He looks at me with eyes filled with sadness. "She wants to protect you. She told you that your interview got her through it…she is afraid to tell you how much worse it was."

Tears fill my eyes again. "Why is she afraid to tell me? She has always told me everything."

"Yes, son, but that has all changed now. Something horrific happened to her…something so horrific that she can't even tell you. Son, give it some time. Hopefully she will open up to you and tell you about it. She needs to talk to someone about it."

I nod. Jake bursts into the room and comes over to us. He looks furious and worried at the same time. He keeps his voice low so as not to awaken Bella.

"Charlie went back to New York. They released him. Riley Biers is out on bail."

**I decided not to switch this story to an M rating. I had quite a few people want me to keep the T rating. With that being said, I may have to have a chapter rated M if I need to describe something that I feel is too strong for T. If I do that, then I will have the chapter clearly labeled that way and I will find a way to catch my T readers up if they miss anything. I may not need to do it, but I wanted to prepare you just in case. **

**How do you think Riley was released? What will happen? I would love to hear your thoughts!**

**Please review!**

**Thank you so much for those of you who are reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it so much! You are all wonderful! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! This chapter has some Edward and Bella time. I think it is about time for them to have some time alone. Next chapter will have some action and I hope you are ready for some secrets to be revealed and an angry violent Edward will be revealed soon…excited? Nervous?

**Edward's POV**

Anger…no rage fuels me. I cannot believe the words coming out of Jake's mouth.

"What?" I whisper loudly. I don't want Bella to hear this either.

Jake nods soberly. "The detective called Charlie to tell him. He is not allowed to leave New York, but you and I both know that won't deter him. Charlie went back to New York to file a restraining order on Bella's behalf and to speak with the judge."

"Why the hell would they let him out?" I rage quietly. Carlisle is just staring at Jake is consternation.

"The judge said that he didn't believe there was enough evidence to keep him in jail until the trial. Something fishy is going on here though. The detective said he has never seen a case like this where the judge let the guy out on bail. He has another connection, Edward. That is the only way to explain."

I agree with him. There has to be another connection somewhere. "Do not speak about this to Bella. I fear what this news may do to her." I whisper. Carlisle and Jake both nod in agreement.

Three hours later, Bella wakes up and looks at me holding her hand at her bedside.

"You should get some sleep." She tells me.

I laugh without humor. "Not a chance am I leaving you again."

She smiles slightly at me, but I can see that it takes tremendous effort on her part and it is only for my benefit. "Edward, what happened to me wasn't your fault." She tells me.

I shake my head no. I know this is all my fault. "Sweetheart, it is my fault. I should have listened to you when you felt someone was following you. I should have hired a detective or called the police. I did nothing." Tears fall down my cheeks and Bella reaches forward to touch my cheek.

"It wouldn't have mattered what you did. He had help from the police. You couldn't have protected me from this. I don't blame you, Edward. I couldn't." She tells me sincerely. She is doing everything she can to make me feel better. That is so Bella. She is always concerned about everyone else.

I clear my throat before speaking again. "Bella, you can tell me anything. You know that, right?" I remember what my father said about there being more to her injuries and that something even more horrific had happened to her.

She nods in answer to my question, but doesn't speak at first. She looks down at her hands and then speaks. "Things are different now though. I know I could tell you everything, Edward. I trust you with anything, but if…" She pauses for a long time before she continues. "If I tell you everything then you will do something foolish. I can't let anything happen to you, so I am not going to tell you…everything."

Fire burns through my body and makes it difficult for me to take a deep breath. My father was right. She is hiding things from me to protect me. What isn't she telling me? Why would it make me do something foolish? I already want to kill Riley Biers and if he doesn't go to jail then I had already decided that he is going to die. I clear my throat before speaking.

"Bella, I need you to tell me everything, love. You don't need to tell everyone and I promise I won't tell anyone except for my father in case you need additional treatment."

She shakes her head at me. "I am certain your father suspects what happened to me. He just wants me to be the one to tell you." She whispers.

I wonder if she is right. I don't care how he knows, but I want her to tell me. I need her to tell me. "Baby, please, I need you to talk to me."

She takes a deep breath and then finally looks up at me. Her eyes are filled with a deep sadness. I know that whatever she is hiding from me is going to break me, but I don't know why.

"I…I need time, Edward. Please…please give me a little time before I have to tell you this." She pleads with me and I don't have the heart to say no. She has been through so much.

"As long as you promise to tell me soon." I say softly. She nods vigorously.

"I promise. Thank you."

I kiss her forehead tenderly and then lay my head against her shoulder.

"Will you hold me?" She asks quietly.

"Won't I hurt you?" I ask nervously.

"You could never hurt me." She tells me with a small, but real, smile.

She scoots over as much as she can in the narrow bed and then I climb into the bed…being careful not to jostle it and risk hurting her ankle, leg, arm, or any other injury.

I lay down and she curls up against my chest as best she can. I put my arm around her carefully and she easily falls asleep feeling safe in my arms. My body refuses to succumb to sleep. What is she going to tell me? Why do I feel like it will destroy me?

**I know this chapter is a little shorter, but the next one will be longer because there is some action coming and soon. How will Bella find out about Riley's release? What is Bella hiding from Edward? What else do you think could have happened to her? I would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you so much for your love and support!**

**Please review!**

**Thank you so much for those of you who are reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it so much! You are all wonderful! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! There is some action in this chapter. I hope you like it.

**Edward's POV**

One week later, Bella is told that she will be allowed to leave the hospital in five days. We decide that we will go and stay with my parents for a little while before heading back to New York. I told Bella we never had to go back to New York, but she insists that we go back. She says she is not going to let him ruin her entire life. She is so strong and brave. Yet, she is still keeping something from me. I also suspect my father knows what she is keeping from me and he won't tell me.

That week in the hospital was excruciating for so many reasons. Bella had nightmares every single night. She would awaken covered in a thick layer of sweat and she would scream for me. I was always there by her side, but it always took several minutes for her to believe I was actually there with her. Jake stayed with us some nights as well. It helped at times because Bella seemed to sense him there and his presence calmed her…somewhat. Still, the nightmares were relentless and continued to reign down on her. Carlisle tried medicating her. It didn't help. Charlie tried soothing her when he stayed the night…that didn't work either.

I know that she would have had nightmares anyway, but I still blame Rose for them being so graphic and frightening. I had left Rose with Bella for five minutes six days ago so I could shower and change my clothes. I came back to find Bella hysterical and Rose trying to soothe her. Carlisle had to give her a sedative to calm her down. Rose told me that she felt Bella deserved to know that Riley was out walking the streets. I had screamed at her of course and my mom had gotten between us and so had Emmett. Rose angered me, but I still remember what she told me.

"You can't know what it is like to feel scared all the time, Edward. If she had found out on her own that he was out and no one told her then she never would have felt safe again. Trust me, I know all about this."

I wanted to question her about what she was talking about, but Emmett shook his head no and discouraged me. The only other thing Rose said was that Bella knew all about what had happened to her. Rose had confided in her a month before she was taken. I wondered why Bella never told me and Rose said it was none of my business. Typical Rose. However, I now realize why Bella had entrusted Rose to take care of Emmett and me if she didn't come home. She and Rose connected on a deeper level than she did with Alice. Rose and Bella were best friends and they trusted one another. Rose told me that she could not violate that trust and keep something that big from her. Bella deserved to know that Riley was walking the streets and I held my tongue. I did not agree, but Bella knew now so nothing else could be done about it.

The pre-trial hearing took place while Bella still had five days to go in the hospital. Carlisle did not feel that Bella was ready to testify. He told the district attorney that Bella was not yet ready and Charlie readily agreed. Bella had still not spoken to a psychiatrist. She told me that if she wanted to speak with someone that she would speak to me. She hadn't opened up anymore to me though. She seemed to feel guilty for not telling me what she was hiding from me, yet every time she would start to tell me her beautiful brown eyes would well up with tears and she would cry hysterically and tell me that she couldn't tell me.

The pre-trial hearing came and went. The judge decided to let Riley remain free until Bella could come in and testify. Charlie went crazy and nearly got arrested when he returned to New York to be present at this hearing. He told me that if he had had his gun that Riley would be dead and there would be no further problems. I tended to agree with him. Charlie made she that the restraining order covered Bella in Seattle as well as New York. When I told Bella about the pre-trial, I was surprised by her reaction. It was almost as if she accepted it. She refused to speak about it though…the eerie calmness worried me.

My father told me to be patient and said that Bella would talk when she was ready to talk. I was trying to be patient, but it was difficult. Bella was to be released from the hospital in four days and I was both excited and nervous about it. Bella said she was ready to leave the hospital, but I wondered if she really was.

Bella would not be able to walk for quite some time, so I helped her around in her wheelchair. He ankle sprain was better and the cast would come off her arm in a few weeks, but her leg would remain in a cast for another four to five weeks. Bella didn't seem concerned. She said she didn't want to go anywhere anyway and that concerned me as well.

Today Bella is to be released from the hospital. She still hasn't spoken anymore about what she went through. Jake said she is still working through it. Charlie isn't anxious to find out what happened. I know he is already close to just killing Riley on his own without needing any additional information to fuel the fire. Emmett is driving Rose crazy. She told him that Riley will pay for this. Emmett is worried that won't happen as I am. I am terrified that he will be released. I don't have much faith in the New York legal system after letting Riley walk the streets a free man. Jasper is convinced, along with Jake, Emmett, and I, that Riley has another contact at the police department. We are determined to find that link.

Alice takes Bella down into the hospital garden to get some fresh air. It is the only outing I allow her to go on without me. My father assures me that security is tight and that they have a picture of Riley. However, something feels wrong to me today. Bella and Alice have gone down there every day, but for some reason today something feels off. I run to the escalator and as soon as I get off on the first floor I nearly run into Alice.

I question her immediately when I don't see Bella. "Alice, where is Bella?" I demand, furious that she let Bella out of her sight.

Alice looks at me with wide eyes. "Edward, I went to the bathroom. A nice orderly offered to take Bella back to her room."

My eyes widen in shock. "You left her with a stranger? How could you?" I scream at her.

Alice looks at me and tears gather in her eyes. "He isn't a stranger. He has been there every day this week and he always talks to Bella and me. He has a hospital name tag for heaven's sake."

My breathing is irregular as I pull her by the arm into the garden. We look around for Bella and she is not there. Hysteria is seeping into me.

"What is his name, Alice?" I screech. I will never forgive her for this. This is unforgiveable in my eyes.

"I don't see why you are so upset. We clearly just missed them. His name is David…David Smith I think."

I pick up my cell phone and call Carlisle immediately. He checks Bella's room and it is just as I feared. She is not there. I ask him if he knows of a worker at the hospital named David Smith. He runs to check with reception. Before he does so though, I hear him put the hospital on lockdown. I am grateful to my father.

When my father gets back on the phone his voice is frantic. "Edward, there is no employee here by the name of David Smith."

Tears fills my eyes, but I push them aside as I run through the hospital as quickly as possible. I want to check all the outside areas, but I can't leave the building because the hospital is on lockdown.

"Edward, son, calm down." Carlisle says in my ear. "I have given you clearance to check around the hospital. Give the guard your name and check outside. No cars are leaving the parking garage either, son. If she is still here we will find her."

All I keep thinking about is that I failed her again. I failed to protect her again. I vaguely hear Alice following me with loud sobs but I can't even look at her right now. If Bella is gone again I know that I will never forgive her for this.

I give the guards my name and they let me out. I run around the building. Somehow Emmett is with me now. We run around screaming for Bella like crazy. I see a man run fast through the parking garage and Emmett chases after him. My vision blurs with tears when I see Bella sitting in her wheelchair just outside of the parking garage. I race over to her and throw myself at her…cradling her in my arms.

She isn't looking at me. She is staring into space with tears in her eyes.

"Bella, love, it's me. It's Edward. You are safe now."

Bella finally looks at me and the look in her eyes breaks my heart. "Never safe. He found me. He will always find me."

She breaks down and sobs in my arms. I send my dad a text to tell him I found her and that she is okay. I also let him know that Riley had been on the premises. While Bella is hugging me and sobbing, Emmett returns holding Riley in his powerful arms. Riley screams in pain at something Emmett has done to his arm. I also notice that his face is bloody and swollen. I am glad Emmett got a couple of punches in. I also see fingernail marks down his face and neck. I lift up Bella's hand and see the skin under her fingernails and the blood there. She fought him off. I yell for the guards and they come and handcuff Riley.

Bella shudders and buries her face in my neck so she doesn't have to look at him.

Once the guards have him cuffed, I speak only to them. "There is a restraining order against this man. He is not allowed to be anywhere near my fiancé. He attempted to abduct her."

The guards nod, but before they drag him away Riley's wicked voice draws me in.

"Bella is mine now. No matter what you do, she will never be yours again. I made sure of that didn't I, Bella?"

Riley addresses Bella is the last straw as I kick him as hard as I can in the groin. He howls in pain and I do it again. Emmett kicks him in the back and he lands hard on the concerete in hysterics.

"You can't do that! That's illegal!" He screeches.

I look up at the guards and they are looking down at Riley in disdain.

"Did you see anything fellas?" I ask.

The guards shake their heads no.

"Didn't see a thing, Mr. Cullen." The young one tells me. "Looks like he must have fallen and cut himself. He should be more careful around here."

Emmett guffaws and the guards lead him away.

Riley starts screaming. "This isn't over Cullen! Bella is mine! I will get her back!"

The anger in my system doesn't fade as I watch him go. I see Charlie come barreling around the corner and as soon as he sees Riley he goes after him. However, there are other guards that hold him back.

I turn to look at Bella. She is shaking and pale. I pick her up out of the wheelchair and carry her in my arms. Emmett follows us back inside. Once in the elevator, Bella looks at me and whispers.

"I am ready to tell you. I am ready to tell you everything."

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What did you think? How was Riley able to get to her? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please review. I am thinking about doing some Bella outtakes…any interest in hearing her perspective? Just let me know.**

**Please review!**

**Thank you so much for those of you who are reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it so much! You are all wonderful! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! This chapter reveals Bella's secret from Edward. She also talks a little bit about her traumatic experiences. I made sure to keep it from getting too graphic, but what I said need to be said. I hope you like it.

**Edward's POV**

I am nervous…anxious…terrified. Bella has promised to tell me everything. We leave the hospital with Charlie and head to my parents' house. Charlie wants Bella to have Esme to look after her and take care of her. Esme has already made the guest room up for Charlie if he would like to stay. Bella will be staying in my old bedroom with me, of course. My mom knows I am not leaving her side. It seems as if every time I leave her with anyone else something happens to her. I know that I could leave her with Jake though. He would protect her with his life. Jake told me he would come by later in the evening. He had to work today. Rose had gone to help out since they were behind and Emmett had tagged along. Carlisle was at the hospital. Esme said she had to run to the store as soon as we walked inside. Charlie said he had to work. They were all making sure to leave Bella and I alone and I deeply appreciated it.

Charlie had assured Bella and me in the car that Riley would not be leaving the Seattle jail until his trial in New York. Charlie had some pull here and he called in all his favors and now Riley was behind bars until his trial in New York. My shoulders sagged in relief, but Bella didn't react. I know she didn't feel comforted or safe. I wondered if she would ever feel safe again.

I carried Bella into my old bedroom and set her down on the bed gently. She tries to smile at me, but it is more of a grimace. I know she is scared to talk to me about her experiences. My dad said it is a really good sign than she wants to open up to me. I sit down on the bed beside her and hold her hand in mine. I don't speak. She will talk when she is ready. I know my Bella.

After several minutes of silence, Bella clears her throat to speak.

"I wasn't truthful with you before, Edward. Riley started…well he started hurting me the day he took me."

I knew this from my father, but my heart still broke into a thousand pieces to hear it from her. I just held her hand silently, encouraging her to continue.

"At first, it was…it was like it wasn't me it was happening to…I tried to distance myself from it…I guess that was foolish, but I tried." She takes a deep breath looking down at our entwined hands as she continues. "I was in pain all the time…when I couldn't…when I didn't enjoy what happened like he wanted then he would beat me…that is what happened to my fingers."

My jaw clenches and I feel hatred course through every fiber of my being. Death was too good for Riley Biers. He was going to suffer a thousand deaths for this.

"After a week with Riley, I noticed a lot of…a lot of bleeding." She pauses in her story to look up at me with tears coursing down her cheeks, her eyes awash with anguish. "Edward, the day I was taken…I had something I wanted to share with you. I was…I was going to tell you the next morning."

What had she wanted to tell me? What had Riley done to make her so leery to tell me this? Something told me this would destroy me. That this news was going to torture me and cause me immense pain.

She sighs softly before lightly touching my cheek. "I just know that once you know this you are going to hate me." She whispers.

I pull her tighter to me instinctively and wrap my arms around her waist. "Bella, nothing that happened with that monster is your fault. No matter what it is, we will get passed it baby. I love you. I will always love only you." I want to reassure her. She shouldn't have to feel like this.

She nods into my chest and then looks up into my eyes before speaking. "I was pregnant, Edward." She whispers.

My heart falters and I feel as if the room is spinning around me. Anguish sweeps through me and I feel the loss intimately. Just knowing Bella had been carrying my child fills me with warmth that is quickly chased away with grief and rage. That monster killed our baby. I still haven't said anything so she continues.

"I was eight weeks pregnant…I had just found out the week before. I…I wanted to surprise you….I lost our baby…three…three days before he let me call you to say goodbye."

She starts sobbing and I pull her into my arms again and hold her close to me.

She continues speaking through the sobs. "I told him that I was pregnant. I had hoped that if he knew I was pregnant that he wouldn't take me. I thought he would leave me alone, but I shouldn't have told him…I shouldn't have told him. He used it against me. He wanted me to lose the baby…all the…all the things that he did to me were too much and I lost our baby!"

Her sobs take over then and tears are flowing freely down my cheeks. That monster. That sick twisted sadistic monster. Everything starts to make sense. Her apology to me made complete sense now. She had felt responsible for this. It also made sense why she no longer felt like herself…how she was gone. She said that he had made sure that she could never be who she used to be…that she could never come back to me. She had tried to let me go because she had felt guilty and empty. She had been grieving, and still was, the loss of our child. He didn't get to win this. I would love Bella my entire life. He was the monster who had broken my beloved. A monster who I would watch die…happily watch die.

As I clutch the love of my life in my arms, I know I have to reassure her. She has to know that I love her, so I don't even think. I just act. I pull back slightly and crush my lips down on hers. She melts into me immediately and we share a passionate kiss. I pull away much sooner than I want, but we are both a little out of breath.

"This changes nothing, love. Do you hear me?" She nods. "This changes nothing. I love you more than anything. We are going to get through this together. I let the tears flow down my cheeks and Bella gently wipes them away.

"I love you, too. I have more to tell you, but I can't talk about anything else tonight." She tells me gently.

I nod and pull her close to me. "We have forever, beautiful. I love you. You took a big step tonight towards healing, my love. Thank you for confiding in me. I love you more than ever." She kisses my cheek before pulling me down onto the bed with her.

We lay down on the bed and I hold her close to me. I want to comfort her. We both need to grieve the loss of our baby before moving forward. I hold her while she cries. She cries until her body succumbs to sleep in my arms. I don't sleep for a long time after that. I just hold Bella tightly to me and protect her. We took a big step today. Today, Bella told me her secret. I am absolutely positive about two things. First, I know Bella and I will get through this together. He did not destroy us. He could never come between us. Second, Riley Biers will pay. He will pay for what he has done to us. I am going to make sure of that.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know this is heart-wrenching now, but since she is confiding in Edward she can begin to truly heal. She still has a long journey, but this is a start. Next chapter will be Bella's POV – it will be her thoughts and feelings since she has been rescued with some flashbacks…it may span a few chapters. I think it is necessary to the story to truly know her thoughts and feelings about what happened to her and why she tried to get Edward to move on.**

**What do you think of Edward in my story? Isn't he the perfect man? **

**Do you think Riley will go to prison or not? I would love to hear all of your thoughts! **

**Please review!**

**Thank you so much for those of you who are reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it so much! You are all wonderful! I truly couldn't do it without you! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! This chapter is from Bella's POV. I think it is necessary to include her a little in this as well. I wanted you to get chance to get inside her head. I think I will return to Edward next chapter, but there will be some Bella POV in the future if you like it. Enjoy

**Bella's POV**

I told Edward my secret and he doesn't hate me. He didn't cast me out. Why had I thought he would? _Because you are not worth it anymore_ - a voice in the back of my mind whispers. I know the voice is right, but oh how I wish it could be wrong. I love Edward with every fiber of my being. I have never been able to tear myself away from his side. How was I supposed to deny him when he loves me so much? How could I make him see that I was not worthy of his love?

My mind drifts back to my weeks trapped with Riley. Will Edward still love me when I tell him everything? Can I tell him all the humiliation I suffered? Can I tell him how much pain and anguish I suffered? Can I tell him I begged Riley to spare our child? I had doomed our child to death the moment I told Riley about the baby's existence. Riley told me he couldn't allow Edward's child to grow within me. He said he wanted me all to himself forever. He didn't want me to have any children…not even with him.

Riley told me over and over again that once he was done teaching me my lesson for not loving him in high school when I should have then he would shower me with love. I cringe when I recall his "lessons" and try not to hyperventilate as I lie in bed. Edward has his arms wrapped securely around me and I hear his even breathing indicating that he has finally succumbed to sleep. It took him a long time to sleep and I don't want to disturb him.

My hand drifts to my stomach and I feel the pain more acutely than ever before now that I am in Edward's arms. We may never have a child together. I am not sure if I could ever be in a physical relationship again. I am not going to let Edward settle for what is left of me. He is better than that. He deserves more than that. I refuse to allow him to waste his life and time with me. I know what I have to do even if it kills me to do it. I have to tell him everything…all of the truth and then I need to walk away from him. I need to make myself disappear. Edward would let me go once he knew everything. I am sure of it.

I am not the Bella Swan that Edward fell in love with, not anymore. Riley destroyed that girl. He ruined her life. He took her dreams and hopes for the future and dashed them to bits on sharp, jagged rocks. I sit up in the small bed and hug myself tightly. Edward feels my absence immediately and he starts shaking. He acts so brave all the time, but I know what happened to me has hurt him deeply. I know Edward loves me, and I love him. He deserves to know who I am now…who I have been reduced to…

Edward's eyes fly open in a panic and he yells out for me. He calms considerably when my hand touches his cheek. He sits up and pulls me close to him on his lap. I have to fight against the impulse to pull away from any physical touch. This is Edward and he will never hurt me.

"Are you all right, beautiful?" He asks seriously hugging me close to him and inhaling my scent.

"Yes. I just want to tell you more about what happened to me." I say in a dead voice. As much as I want to do the right thing and let him go, it hurts so much. I can't live without Edward, but I refuse to doom him to this life with a pathetic excuse for a wife on his arm. He is better than that.

Edward leans in intently urging me to speak, so I clear my throat and begin…knowing that at the end of it, Edward will never see me the same way again.

"When you were out with the guys I was studying. There was a knock at the door and I just assumed it was you and that you had forgotten your keys. I pulled open the door and there was Riley. I tried not to panic. I tried to shut the door in his face but he wedged his foot in the door and pushed his way inside. I don't remember what happened so much after that…I know a few things broke because I heard them shatter. I ran to our bedroom and slammed the door…I grabbed for my phone to call the police, but Riley got into our room and he took the phone and smashed it against the wall. He forced me down on our bed…he started to tear at my clothes and I screamed out that I was pregnant. He…he stopped and stared at me with so much anger. Then he hit me. He told me to sit on the bed and not move while he packed a suitcase for me. He told me he was taking me away from here and that he would cleanse me of you."

I pause to take a shaky breath and see that Edward is still looking at me with love and sadness. I continue shakily.

"I told him that I wasn't going with him, then he pulled out his gun. He told me that he had friends in the police department. A friend that was waiting outside of Emmett's apartment with a weapon would kill you as soon as you left the apartment if I didn't go with him immediately. So, of course, I left with him. I couldn't allow anything to happen to you if I was able to save you." I whisper brokenly.

I look up at Edward and he still looks saddened, but there is no disgust in his eyes…not yet.

"He…he took me to some old abandoned warehouse I guess. There was a small room there that he kept me locked up in with him. He had the only key and he told me if I tried to run away that he would kill you." I swallowed deeply before continuing with the more difficult part. "He started to…to hurt me…and I…I…begged him for our child's life. I begged him not to hurt our baby. I told him I would do anything he wanted as long as he didn't hurt our baby."

I look down in shame and I am surprised when Edward wraps his arms around me in comfort. "I am so sorry you had to go through that, love. I am so very sorry." Then Edward is sobbing into the crook of my neck and the warm tears run down my shirt silently. I hold him tightly to me wondering why he isn't ashamed of me.

After he calms slightly I pull away a little to clear up my confusion. "Did you hear what I said Edward? I told him I would do anything he wanted…how are you not…disgusted and ashamed with…with me." I whimper slightly.

Edward's eyes go wide in shock before a complete gentleness shines in his piercing green eyes. Eyes that have always made me feel safe and loved. Eyes that are not able to hide a thing from me. "Bella, you were trying to save our child. How could I be disgusted with you? You are so strong to offer yourself like that to save our child."

Strong? I hadn't thought about it like that, so I shook my head no. "Edward, it didn't work. He didn't stop hurting me…but after I said those words it was like I gave him…I gave him the right to touch me." I swipe at the tears on my cheeks as he is shaking his head no. I continue anyway. "I just feel so…dirty, ashamed, and wrong now. He…he hurt me in so many ways and crying, screaming, begging, and telling him no didn't change anything. When he got tired of hearing me, he would gag me so I would be quiet. I never stopped fighting for our baby, but then when I lost all that blood…I felt a different kind of pain and I knew, I knew our baby was gone. After that, I stopped caring. I stopped fighting him. I stopped reacting to anything at all. I just let him violate me after that without stopping him or trying to fight. I just gave up, Edward. I knew then that the Bella I used to be was gone…I know I will never be that girl again. Apparently, R…he got tired of my apathy because he told me I could call you and tell you goodbye. I watched the news and…and when I saw your face…it made me feel again. Without that, I am not sure I would be with you now. Your voice and your face helped me push through all that."

I look up into Edward's eyes and the pain in them hurts me physically as well. I can tell him my feelings without telling him all the details of the lessons and punishments I went through. He couldn't bear to hear them all at once and I didn't want to tell him…not yet, and I might not speak about some of them ever…the humiliation would be too much.

"Baby, I am so sorry I didn't save you from that monster before…" Edward's voice breaks off and he looks down at his hands. "I am afraid you will never be able to trust me again. I am afraid you won't want me anymore."

I look at him in shock this time. How could this amazing, perfect man think I would not want him anymore? Of course I wanted him. I just didn't deserve him. I knew I had to reassure him. "Edward, I trust you. I wouldn't have told you all that I have told you if I didn't. I love you. I have never wanted anyone but you." This is the truth and he deserves to hear it.

He shakes his head and looks into my eyes and right down into my soul. "Then why are you trying to distance yourself from me now?" It is a whisper, but it is a tortured whisper full of anguish…and terror.

Tears continue to blur my vision as I cry. He has seen through me. Why did I think that I would be able to hide from him? I have never been able to do it before. I guess I would have to try and make him understand.

"I don't deserve you anymore, Edward. I am no longer whole. I am not sure I will ever be able to be the wife you deserve…not after this." I tell him honestly.

Edward looks confused. "The wife I deserve? I just want you, Bella. There are no expectations of anything else here."

He didn't completely understand, so I decide to be blunt. "I am not sure I will ever be able to be intimate again…I…I just don't know if I will ever be able to…" I trail off. It is too difficult to finish my thoughts.

Edward picks up on them and pulls me against his strong chest. "Bella, I believe one day you will want to make love to me again. I believe one day you will feel whole. However, if that day never comes…I won't care. I will take you however I can take you. I love you. I can't be with anyone else. I don't want anyone else. I only will ever want you. I don't care if we there are no children. If you want children, we can adopt if it comes to that. All I know is that I cannot imagine a life without you. If you leave me, Bella, it will destroy me. Can't you see that? You would not be saving me…you would be killing me."

I pull back away from him to process his words. His words are like ice water as they crash down around me breaking my resolve when he hits me with the final blow.

"Would it really be that easy for you to walk away from me, Bella? Could you live a life without me?"

His words break me. He thinks I don't truly love him the way he loves me. He is sorely mistaken.

I throw myself into his arms and our lips meet. I thought kissing him would be difficult, but there is nothing painful about it…aside from my heart breaking for the man I love, the man who holds half of my soul. I kiss him fiercely and passionately. He responds greedily as our lips devour one another. He carefully places his arms around my waist pulling me closer to him and I throw my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. My tongue slides along his lips and he opens his mouth to grant me access. Our tongues dance together and I feel heat rise inside of me and it surprises me. I was never supposed to feel this again. I was never supposed to want this again. Edward awakens all of this inside of me, only he could do that to me.

After our intense kissing, I pull away to catch my breath. He smiles at me and rests his forehead against mine. I know I have to speak to him now.

"There is no life for me without you, Edward. I wouldn't survive without you."

His smile grows and he hugs me close to him. Sobs escape him as he cries again. He has remained strong for me and now I want to be strong for him. I brush my hands soothingly through his hair and up his back gently. I want to soothe him.

"Don't ever leave me." He cries into my shoulder. "Promise me that you will never leave me…please." He begs.

I cradle him in my arms and I know that I have no choice and I never really did. Without Edward, I could not go on and now I know that he couldn't go on without me either.

"I promise that I will never leave you, Edward Cullen. I promise." I tell him seriously.

This calms him and he looks into my eyes and sees the honesty in them…I see the relief plainly in his eyes as well.

"I love you, Isabella Marie Swan. Will you still marry me?"

I smile at him and he smiles back at me. He is so incredibly perfect and he is all mine. This amazing man wants me forever. I don't deserve him, but I know that I will never leave him now. I love him too much to contemplate a life without him by my side. I could never destroy this amazing man. Leaving him, would have destroyed him. I couldn't do that.

"I love you, too. Yes, Edward, of course I will still marry you."

**I have decided that there will be some "flashback" chapters or parts from Bella's POV throughout this story. However, the story will remain primarily Edward's POV. **

**Please review and let me know what you thought of Bella's POV. **

**Edward and Bella took some big steps together in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! This chapter is a lot shorter than my normal chapters, but it is a necessary chapter before the story picks up again. Bella and Edward are starting over again and Bella is trying to heal. This is the beginning of that with Edward's thoughts about various things. Please read and review! Thank you!

**Edward's POV**

Bella and I had the longest conversation of our lives. I felt relieved after we talked. I just had a terrible feeling that she was going to leave me…I had been right. She wanted to leave me to spare me. I couldn't believe how selfless she truly was. I would not survive without my Bella and now she knows that.

Maybe most men would be ashamed to cry as I did in front of Bella, but I am not. She needed to know what was in my heart and what it did to me to know she was thinking about leaving me. I feel so much relief now that we have cleared away that topic. Bella and I stayed up and talked for hours. I know she has much more to tell me, but I also know that she is opening up to me more than I ever thought she would.

When she told me about how hard she had fought for the life of our child, I was so furious for what happened to her. I was also so proud of how strong she was and how strong she will always be. I know she will come back from this even if she doesn't believe she will.

In the morning, my father comes in to check on her. She is still sleeping, fitfully but sleeping. I tell my dad about Bella opening up to me and about our child. My father apologizes to me for not telling me, but I understand why he didn't. Bella needed to tell me. If she didn't tell me herself, would she ever actually heal?

Two days later, Bella tells her father that she is ready to face Riley in court. I am terrified that it is too soon, but she tells me that she wants to put it all behind her. Charlie talks to the district attorney and the trial is set for two weeks from today. Bella wants to go back to our apartment in New York in a week. I am terrified to go back there. I am worried about the memories it may invoke in her. Bella, however, says she refuses to live her life in fear forever. She wants some semblance of normalcy. If this is what she wants, then I cannot deny her.

Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper had gone back to New York four days ago and were thrilled to hear that we would be back soon. Riley would be staying in the Seattle jail until the day before his trial when he would be flown back to New York by Seattle police officers. Charlie had more pull than I released and I was relieved that he would not be out before the trial.

The week that Bella and I spent at my parents' house flew by quickly. Charlie came over every day for hours. Jake would stop by at least once a day and sometimes even more often. Jake was going to fly to New York with Charlie and my parents for the trial. Charlie was going to be staying with my parents and Jake was going to stay with us.

We flew back to New York on a Monday and now we are in a taxi on our way to our apartment. I feel so many emotions all at the same time. I am terrified for her. I hope that it won't be too much.

"Bella, if you can't do this…we can move. Just be honest with me, promise?"

She nods at me and tries to smile, but I can see the fear in her eyes. I admire her for her bravery, but like my parents and Charlie, I am afraid this is too soon. Jake said the same thing before we left, but he also said that Bella was set on figuring it out for herself and I understood that, too.

The cabbie carried our bags to the door for and I gave him a generous tip before he left. I stood next to Bella and held her hand. She is just staring at the door…she takes a small step forward and then with a deep breath she puts her key in the lock and turns it. The door swings open and we step through the doors to face her demons together.

**I know that this is a short chapter, but it is necessary to the story. I am going back to Bella's POV next chapter for her first time in the apartment. I think we should hear about it from her perspective. Thank you for reading.**

**Please review and let me know what you think. Do you think Riley will go to prison? Do you think Bella will be able to handle being in the apartment again? Let me know! Review! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed! This chapter is from Bella's POV as she relives some vivid memories her brain has blocked…for good reason. I hope you like it! Thanks for reading and please review!

**Bella's POV**

As soon as the door swings open, all the bravado I was feeling fades away leaving me with a deep sense of panic and anxiety. I step through the doorway and look around the apartment Edward and I have shared for years. It is the first place I really felt at home in…it is it the place that brought me so much happiness…but along with that happiness there was now terror, pain, and anguish.

I know Edward is stressing out about this so I put on a brave face and step further into the living room. There are quite a few things about that night that I seem to have blocked out. I can't remember all of it. It is almost as if my brain had put me in a haze to protect me from the horrors I endured here, in a place where I was always so happy. He has even managed to take this away from me. The bastard.

I walk straight to our bedroom. The time in the bedroom is the only thing about the night I was taken that I remember clearly. I remember Riley slapping me. I remember him tearing at my clothes before I revealed I was pregnant. The big reveal that cost my innocent child his or her life. If I had just kept quiet then maybe I would still be pregnant with that precious baby…but I had managed to destroy that chance for happiness. Would Edward hate me for it someday?

I open the door to our bedroom. I look down at the floor where my cell phone had been smashed. Of course it wasn't there anymore. Edward clears his throat behind me and hands me a new phone.

"I thought you may want one." He tells me softly and I smile slightly.

"Thanks." I tell him, touched as I always am by his thoughtfulness.

I look at the bed where Edward and I had shared so much together. Now, all I can see is Riley forcing himself on me…I turn away from it and start hyperventilating. Edward is there immediately and he encircles my waist with his arms and whispers in my ear reassuringly.

"We will get a new bed, my love. We can even get a new apartment if you want to do that."

I shake my head. I am not going to let him drive me out of my home. I am not going to let him take everything away from me. "A new bed sounds nice." I tell him. "But I want to live here with you."

He pulls me closer to his chest. "Whatever you want, beautiful." I know he just wants me to feel safe here. I don't want to hurt Edward's feelings, but I don't think I will ever feel safe again.

After Edward and I get settled in, we begin to prepare dinner. Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice are going to come over and hang out with us. Edward offered to order in, but I want to cook with him in our kitchen again. We went to the grocery store and bought an excessive amount of groceries before getting back to the apartment. We decided to make fajitas for dinner. Edward was cooking the meat while I diced up some veggies with a large knife.

Suddenly, something pulled at me…a vague hazy memory. I look at the knife is my hand and the memory crashes over me.

_Riley picks up the knife on the counter and smiles at me. "We can take care of your little baby problem real quick, my Isabella." Tears coursed down my cheeks and I ran from him. I managed to make it to the living room and I ran for the front door in an attempt to leave the apartment. Before I can remove the deadbolt he has thrown in place he is holding me against him. I can feel how aroused he is from his position behind me. "On second thought, I think we should cement our relationship to one another right here and right now…your old life ends and your new one begins right. I start to scream and he presses the knife to my throat. A new scream catches in my throat as I feel the knife blade against the sensitive skin at my neck. "Are we going to have any problems, Isabella?"_

The memory vanishes and Edward is leaning over me yelling for me to come back to him.

"Bella, love! What is it? Are you all right? What happened?"

I take a deep breath to calm myself. Did he actually rape me in this apartment? I tried to recall the fuzzy details once more but they had retreated in my mind. I didn't want to upset Edward because I wasn't sure if anything really happened.

"A flashback…Riley had a knife…I just panicked…I am so sorry Edward."

He wraps me in a big hug. "You have nothing to be sorry for, nothing."

It takes us a while to get back to cooking. Edward takes over cutting the vegetables and I finish cooking the meat and warming the fajita shells and getting the bar organized with the various toppings for the fajitas. Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper arrive at the same time. Rose and Alice come to find me in the kitchen, while Edward, Jasper and Emmett settle down in the living room and turn on the television to find a game of some sort to watch.

Rose notices something is wrong with me immediately. "What happened?" She asks quickly. Alice looks at me with worried eyes as well.

I know I can't lie to them. "I had a flashback…well part of a flashback. It…I couldn't remember the end of it…but what I saw frightened me. It frightened me even more than I didn't remember it."

Alice looks at me sympathetically. She reaches forward to put her arms around me to comfort me and accidently knocks a glass to the floor. It shatters as soon as it hit the floor and pain overcomes me. The vivid images flash through my mind and I start screaming. I put my hands over my ears and sink to my knees amid all the glass and keep screaming. I ignore the pain shooting through my broken leg…I ignore Rose trying to comfort me…I ignore Alice screaming for Edward. I just scream and scream until everything goes black.

**Next chapter will be Edward's POV. Please review and let me know what you think. Please and thank you! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I am soooo soooo sorry that I have been MIA for a little while. I have had some family health issues that I needed to help out with. I appreciate you all bearing with me! This is the next chapter of Taken. I hope you like it. I promise I will finish this story even if for some reason it takes me a week to update. I ALWAYS finish my stories. I have also vowed not to start any more stories until I finish two of the four I have going right now. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! I would love to hear your thoughts! Enjoy!**

**Edward's POV**

It actually physically hurts me to see Bella flinch before entering the apartment we had shared so much in…he ruined it for her…for us. I swear to God he will pay for this. I will make him pay. She puts on a brave face, I know it is for my benefit, and steps into the living room. She glances around the room in confusion. She has told me that her memories of the night she was taken are not vivid. I know she doesn't remember all of it and I am not entirely sure that is a bad thing. I hope she can forget it, but I fear that the more time she spends here it will trigger those thoughts. Another part of me wonders if it would be better for her to remember right away, so we can deal with it together.

She walks toward the bedroom and stares into the room in trepidation. She opens the door slowly and immediately looks down at the floor where I had found her smashed cell phone. I clear my throat and she turns to look at me with wide, confused, dazed eyes.

"I thought you may want one." I tell her softly…unsure of what else to say. She smiles at me slightly.

"Thanks." She tells me and I know she is grateful. It seems such a small thing to be grateful for, but Bella has always been that way.

Bella gazes over at the bed and for a moment she freezes. I remember what she told me about Riley trying to force himself on her in here before she told him she was pregnant. Bella seems to remember at the same time because she starts sobbing and then hyperventilating. I hurry and put my arms around her and encircle her waist in a comforting hug.

"We will get a new bed, my love. We can even get a new apartment if you want to do that."

She shakes her head no. I know she doesn't want to leave the apartment, but I am wondering if it is smart to stay here. "A new bed sounds nice. But I want to live here with you."

I pull her closer to my chest in a hug. "Whatever you want, beautiful." I just want to keep my precious one safe and I need to make sure I do that for the rest of my life. I will never fail her ever again.

Bella and I shop for groceries and then we came back to the apartment to cook. Bella is chopping vegetables and then she just stops and freezes. Her eyes go blank and her hand clutches the knife tightly in her hand as she looks straight ahead seeing nothing. It is frightening me. She starts shaking her head and tears leak out of her eyes.

"BELLA! Love, what is it? Are you all right?"

I keep repeating these words until the haze clears from her eyes and she looks at me. I see the fear and pain in her eyes laced with some confusion. What the hell just happened?

"A flashback…Riley had a knife…I just panicked…I am so sorry Edward."

I wrap her in a big hug. "You have nothing to be sorry for, nothing."

We finish cooking and then everyone arrives. The girls shoo us out of the kitchen and we go and sit in the living room in silence for a little while before Emmett clears his throat to speak.

"How is she?" Emmett asks in a soft voice not wanting the girls to hear him.

I sigh softly and talk in a low voice. "She is trying to be so damn brave. She doesn't want to have to leave this place. She wants to pretend like it is okay for her here, but I know it isn't."

Jasper moves to sit next to me. "Are you sure?"

He asks me because he knows I have more to say, so I continue. "She had some kind of flashback in the kitchen. She wouldn't tell me what it was about. She told me in the hospital that she didn't remember much about the night she was taken. I think being here in the apartment is making her remember some painful times that she had that night. Painful times that her mind blocked from her for some reason. I just…I am just afraid of what else could have happened to her."

Tears drip down my cheek and I wipe them away before I notice Emmett is also teary eyed.

"Edward, that bastard will pay for every single thing he has ever done to Bella. I would love nothing more than to break every bone in his miserable body. I may still do that."

I manage a small smile when I hear the rage in Emmett's voice.

Jasper's reasonable voice clears up our thoughts. "He will spend the rest of his life in jail. That is what the prosecutor told you all. He will get his due."

I know Jasper is being reasonable, but I agree with Emmett.

"No amount of pain he suffers will ever be enough." I say softly.

Then I hear a sound that makes me shoot up immediately. Bella. My Bella screaming in terror. Alice starts screaming for me and we all race into the kitchen. I make it into the room just as Bella loses consciousness and sinks to the floor. I catch her before she hits her head on the floor. I look at the broken glass on the floor and see what triggered it.

"What happened?" Emmett demanded, kneeling beside Bella and me.

Rose starts explaining immediately. "Bella told us she had a painful flashback. She said she was afraid about what else she would remember. Then Alice went to hug her and she knocked a glass off the counter top. Bella's eyes went glassy and then wide with fear and she started screaming and covering her ears.

I scooped Bella up in my arms. "I am going to take her to the guest room."

"We'll clean up." Alice offers.

I shake my head. "Go ahead and eat. Bella would want you guys to eat. I know you aren't going to leave until you know that she is okay, so you should at least it."

Emmett nods. Alice quietly moves around the kitchen to arrange things, while I carry Bella to the guest room and lay down on the bed with her. I hold her close to me. I check her pulse several times. It is strong and steady.

Several minutes later Bella wakes up and sits straight up. I sit up beside her. She takes in her surroundings and me and then relaxes slightly.

"What happened, love?" I ask her.

She looks at me and I see sadness in her eyes and so much pain. "It's nothing. I guess I fell." She lied badly.

"Bella, please don't lie to me. What flashback did the broken glass trigger? Please tell me."

Bella looks at me with wide frightened eyes. "Riley wasn't the only one here the night I was taken, Edward." She tells me softly.

I look at her in shock. Who else would be here and why wouldn't she want to tell me about it?

She looks back down and focuses on her fingers.

"Who else was here with him, Bella?" I press her.

She looks up at me with wide eyes filled with so much pain and sadness. "I saw her a few other times when I was trapped with Riley. She would come in and taunt me. She would tell me things…things that hurt me. The night I was taken…she…she hurt me…"

I am frantic with worry now. "Bella, please, you are scaring me. Who else was with Riley?"

Tears start flowing down her face in silent rivers. "Tanya Denali." She whispers and red hot rage courses through my body and tears at my soul.

**I know this chapter had some overlap, but I thought we should know what Edward was thinking at this time also. Please review! I would love to hear from you!**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I am on a roll writing this story now! I have already finished the next three chapters! If I have enough interest then I will post once a day or every other day! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You all rock! I am giving you a Rosalie point of view here. She is very protective of Bella and I thought you would want to read about her confrontation with Tanya first hand. Enjoy! Let me know what you think!**

**Rosalie's POV**

That stupid, little, conniving pathetic little…she seriously thought she could get away with this. Did she honestly think Bella would never remember what happened to her? It suddenly made sense why Tanya had not been at the hospital when her sisters came to see Bella. I grabbed my cell phone that had five missed calls from Emmett and dialed Kate's number.

"Hey there, Rose!" Kate answered cheerfully. "How is Bella feeling?"

I could not bother with pleasantries. "Kate, is Tanya still staying with you at your apartment in New York?"

"She has been staying with me for over six months…she can't find a job or so she says…" Kate sounds annoyed with her sister, but also confused as to why I am asking her these questions.

"Is she there with you right now?" I ask in a voice filled with fiery venom.

Kate reacts to this voice, but speaks quietly. "She is."

I smile evilly. "I am on my way. Do not tell her I am coming and do not let her leave."

"Sure thing. You will explain this to me when you get here?" Kate questions.

"Oh absolutely." I tell her.

I disconnect the call and I throw my phone into the backseat. It immediately starts ringing again. Emmett is going to have to wait.

I pull up in front of Kate's apartment and I am surprised to see Emmett sitting there grinning at me.

"How in the hell did you beat me?" I screech at him.

Emmett keeps grinning at me. "Babe, I understand you want to kick this bimbo into next week, but I won't let you risk your job for her. You love those students. You love being their mentor."

I know he loves me and he is just trying to help, but I can't let this go. Tanya knew what would happen to Bella when Riley took her. She knew what Riley would do to her and she didn't care. I was definitely going to have my say here. She obviously had no idea how traumatizing that kind of experience was to a woman…or maybe she just didn't care. Either way, she was going to pay for it.

"Get out of my way, Emmett!" I yell at him. Kate is standing in the doorway as I let myself into the apartment.

"Rose, you have about ten minutes before the cops get here." Emmett calls after me.

"That is more than enough time for me to give her a piece of my mind!" I yell back.

I don't even knock as I push my way into Tanya's room. She is laying on her bed writing in some kind of diary. Her eyes lock with mine and I see them fill with fear. She knows that I know.

"Rose, I…" She begins but I don't want to hear from her…not yet.

"Bella remembered a few things today. Care to venture a guess as to what one of those things was Tanya?"

Tanya stands up and closes her diary. She doesn't say anything.

"The entire time she was gone you knew where she was! Why did you do it? Did you really think Edward would want you after Bella was gone?"

Tanya's eyes fill with tears. "He would have wanted me…if…if Riley had taken her away from here….then Edward would be mine right now."

She looks back over my shoulder as I am fuming. "Is Edward with you now?"

I laugh at her then, a bitter laugh. "Edward won't leave Bella's side. He loves HER. He will NEVER LOVE YOU! You are crazy if you thought he would decide to forget about Bella and move on with you!"

I push against her shoulder and she falls on the bed easily. "So, did you enjoy watching Riley hurt her, Tanya? Did you get a thrill out of it?" I know that Tanya was there more than Bella had told Edward so far because I know Tanya.

She doesn't answer me, but I see her look down at her diary. I scoop it up off the bed before she has a chance to grab it. "Let's just hand this little baby over to the police, shall we?"

Tanya's eyes go wide. "You…you can't do that! It is my own personal private property."

I grin evilly at her. "It doesn't matter if you are arrested."

Again she looks stunned. "Arrested? By who? Bella wouldn't say anything. She knows how much I mean to Edward."

That is when I realized I was wasting my time. Tanya was truly crazy. "You better hope for your sake that you go to jail because if you are released I am going to find you and I am going to make your life a living hell. You messed with my girl and I swear to all that is holy that you will pay for that one way or another!" I screech out.

The police show up then and read Tanya her rights. I hand the diary over to them. We all walk out of the apartment. Kate is looking at Tanya with angry, hurt eyes. Emmett must have told her what happened.

"How could you?" She whispers to her sister.

Tanya doesn't reply. She sees the only person she has ever wanted to see. Edward. He is standing by a police car with his arms folded over his chest. I am surprised her left Bella, but I shouldn't have been surprised that he would want to be here for this.

"Eddie!" Tanya calls out.

I watch as Edward pushes himself away from the police car and walks over to where the police are holding Tanya.

"Eddie, I just knew you would come. I knew that once Bella became damaged goods that you would see reason, baby. It was only a matter of time before you came back to me. I knew you would come back to me."

Like I said, the chick is crazy. Edward went out on one date with her when he was fifteen. He told his sister that she was not the kind of girl he would ever take out again. After he met Bella, he never thought about Tanya again, or any other girl for that matter.

I watch Edward's cold eyes lock on Tanya's hopeful ones. I watch as the life drains out of Tanya's eyes.

"I just wanted to look into the eyes of one of the people who tried to destroy my Bella. I wanted to look into your eyes and tell you that you will not get away with what you did. I am going to see to it that you are punished to the fullest extent of the law. Bella told me…she…she told me that you were there…all the time. You knew where she was the entire time and you said nothing!" Edward's eyes are filled with tears, but his face is scarlet with anger.

"Eddie, we belong together. Can't you see that?" Tanya tries again timidly.

Edward laughs without humor. "Bella is the only woman I have ever and will ever love. You mean nothing to me, Tanya. You have never meant anything to me. I hate you. I hate you more than you'll ever be able to fathom. This is the last time I will ever speak to you again. You are dead to me."

With that Edward turned and walked back to one of the police cars. I see him slide into the seat and put his arms around someone…Bella. Of course she would be here with him. He wouldn't leave her again for anything in the world. I watch him hug Bella and I watch as the sobs wrack his body. She is holding him close and sobbing as well. I wonder what else Bella had told him. I knew whatever it was…it wasn't good.

**So, what did you think? Let me know! I love reviews **

**The next chapter will be about the trial of Riley Biers. How do you think that will go? Thoughts?**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I guess you do love me. This chapter is another Edward POV. I love writing from his point of view. He is obviously the best character in the series. Also, hats off to Robert Pattinson for being so classy about the news with Kristen Stewart. His is truly a gentleman! **

**Edward's POV**

Could there by other people involved as well? How long was the list of betrayers going to get? Riley's trial begins the next day and I am a nervous wreck. Bella is beside herself with worry and anxiety. The prosecutor assures us that it will be a "slam dunk" and I think that makes me even more nervous. There is no such thing as a sure thing in the justice system. I think about O.J. Simpson. Michael Jackson. Casey Anthony. All those other people that were guilty, but let go. And why were they let go? Because their lawyers found a loop hole or made the jury feel sorry for their clients.

I hold tightly to Bella's hand as we enter the court room. I want to support her and be strong for her. I have to keep myself from falling apart now. Jake takes the seat on Bella's other side and Charlie sits next to Jake. Before the trial was set to start, the police chief asked to speak with the judge and the two attorneys in his chambers. That was odd.

Riley was led into the room and his eyes immediately sought out Bella. As soon as Bella saw him, she looked down at her feet and started rocking back and forth humming softly. I hold her tightly against me and send him my most menacing glare. He just glares right back at me his eyes narrowing as I pull Bella even closer to me to stop her shaking. Jake sees Riley looking at us and stands up looking even more menacing than I do and Riley finally turns away once Jake blocks his view of Bella.

The district attorney returns looking grim. Bella, Charlie, Jake, and I approach her table to listen to what she has to say.

"It is very bad news. The police chief says that all of their files associated with this case have gone missing. The only item that remains his Tanya's journal. Everything else, all the evidence, transcripts, phone records, etc. are gone."

My heart stops in my chest and Bella starts to fall into my arms. I catch her and hold her close to me.

"What does this mean?" Charlie asks even though I can tell he already knows.

"The judge told us we could try the case as is…but without the evidence he is going walk. He suggested that we do not bring the case to court just yet. Now, I have to collect all the information from all the witnesses and try to dig through various phone records and logs to see if I can come up with the concrete evidence we need to put Riley Biers away for a long long time."

Jake speaks furiously. "You have Bella's testimony! You have all of us here who heard the phone call! You have Victoria who is willing to testify to save her own behind! What more do you need?"

The attorney looks at us sadly. "Victoria has escaped somehow. She has not been seen in two days. None of the police officers heard the entire phone call…Bella could be seen as delusional without all the proof and evidence. They will paint her as Riley's ex-girlfriend and the jury may believe it."

I cannot believe this. This monster is not going to get away with this. He isn't going to walk.

"What do we need to do to make sure this bastard pays?" I ask in a hoarse voice.

The defense attorney looks at me and then at Bella sadly. "We need to find every single scrap of evidence we can find. They even lost the hospital photos that were evidence."

"My father can testify…he saw her injuries. He treated her."

The attorney shook her head. "He is your father. They will use that against us. They will say he is only saying it because it is his future daughter-in-law."

I try to process what she is saying. How in the world are all the hospital records just gone? I will call my father and see if that is in fact the case. I know she was treated in New York first, so those are probably the records they are talking about. Maybe my dad managed to bring a case chart home with him. Maybe…then my mind stops. I understand what the lawyer is trying to tell us without actually saying it. The police have screwed us by losing the evidence. Riley Biers will most likely walk.

"Are you saying he is going to get away with this?" I hiss.

She looks at me in sympathy and it is nearly my undoing. "We are going to do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen. We could speak with Ms. Denali…maybe offer her a deal. However, I don't recommend that. Tanya's diary is the evidence we still have. She will be doing time. She has already pled guilty. We just have to make sure we have everything in order before we bring this back before a judge because we will only get one shot at this."

Bella's timid voice speaks up. "How long before there will be a new trial?"

The attorney reaches out and takes her hand. "We don't know yet, Bella. It could be six months or even a year."

She nods numbly and I feel something in me snap. I feel something change inside me. I look over at Riley who is smiling and laughing with his attorney. His eyes keep gazing at Bella and I know he will never leave her alone. I know that we will never be free of him as long as he is breathing. It is in those moments that I make a decision. A decision that I know will upset Bella, so I don't say anything. I turn around and make eye contact with Jasper and then Emmett. I motion towards the door and they get up slowly to go and meet me outside.

I catch Jake's eye and then whisper to him. "Keep her safe for me for a few minutes, will you?"

Jake nods and I think he knows where my thoughts have gone.

I drop a kiss on Bella's forehead. "Be right back, love."

I stalk down the aisle and go out into the hallway where Jasper and Emmett are waiting.

"What do you need?" Jasper questions at the same time Emmett says, "What did they say?"

I clear my throat and then begin. "The cops lost all of the evidence. The lawyer says we need to get more evidence and that it could take up to a year. She also said there are no guarantees that he will do time. Until this new trial, he will be out roaming the streets…stalking my Bella. I need to stop him. I know what I am going to do."

Jasper's face goes pale as if he knows where my mind has gone. Emmett hasn't realized it yet. What?"

I take a deep breath before I whisper the words that will alter the course of my life. "I am going to kill Riley Biers."

**So, what did you think? Let me know! I love reviews **

**The next chapter will involve Edward's plan to do away with Riley. How do you think he is going to do it? What will Jasper and Emmett say? What will Bella say?**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! Two chapters in one day! Are you proud of me? Thank you to those of you who already read and reviewed chapter 20. Your positive comments and support make me want to write and post MORE and MORE!**

**I did want to address the guest reviewer who called my story disgusting...when you saw the description of this story...how could you think it would be happiness and light throughout? This story deals with a sensitive and troubling nature...it is going to take some time. If you don't want to read it...then don't. Not everyone will like everything I write, but I already know where I want this story to go and I am going to take it there. I do like constructive criticism, but being attacked is just rude. **

**For the rest of my readers, this is not going to be a short story. This story is going to be long and there are going to be times of heartache and darkness for Bella. There are also going to be times where Edward goes dark because he has been holding this all in and in the previous chapter he just lost it and snapped. Normal people have those moments and I am trying to make this story realistic with all that they have gone through. There will eventually be healing, but it is a long journey. She has been through so much and it isn't going to go away over night for her. It is going to take a great deal of time for her to heal. She will get there slowly, but surely. However, there will be set backs...a pretty big set back is actually coming up for Bella soon. It will make Edward realize what his impetuousness could mean for Bella. It will take some time...so bear with me those of you who still like the story. :)**

**Okay, now that I have vented we can move on. :) This is a short chapter, but it is a necessary one. I hope you still enjoy it. I already have the next chapter done, but I wanted to post this chapter separate because I felt it needed to be on its own. Even though it is short, there are some important details that happen and I wanted to highlight them in the short chapter. **

**Edward's POV**

"How in the hell are you going to do that?" Emmett questions immediately. "What about Bella? What if you go to jail for it?"

I turn to look at Jasper. "I need you help finding out where I can meet with Aro and Marcus Volturi."

Jasper shakes his head no. "Are you crazy, Edward? Aro and Marcus Volturi are murderers. They are the most notorious drug cartel around. Why would you want to contact them?"

I lower my voice even lower. "We now share a common interest. Riley aided Victoria in the death of Caius Volturi. I plan to let them know this. They will help me take them both out."

Emmett's face is now deathly pale, but he is nodding his head. "I will help you brother, for Belly Bear."

Jasper is still shaking his head. "You guys don't know what you are saying. Edward, you are talking about murder here. Bella would never want you to do this."

I nod my head. I know that Bella would be against this plan. I take a deep breath before I tell them what I plan to do about Bella. "I am not going to tell her until after I meet with the Volturi."

I have never lied to Bella in my life. However, this is about her safety. I cannot afford to have her taken again. I will not survive without her. Riley's death is the only thing that can protect her. I just hope one day she will be able to forgive me.

Jasper throws his hands up in the air and lets out an exasperated sigh. "Bella will never forgive you for this, Edward. She wouldn't want this."

His words tear at my heart, but I already promised my Bella that I would keep her safe. This is one way I would be keeping the promise. "I am willing to take that chance. I would rather have Bella live a long and happy life than be living in constant fear of Riley…even if she doesn't want to spend that life with me."

I was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. If I had to lose Bella because of this, I was prepared to accept that. I would always watch over her of course. I would never move on and love another. I just wanted to protect her and I had no other options left.

"Don't do this." Jasper begs.

"If I don't kill Riley Biers then Bella will never be safe!"

I hear an audible gasp and turn around to see Bella and Jake standing behind us. Jake's eyes are wide with shock and Bella's beautiful brown eyes are filled with tears.

"Bella-" I start to say, but she doesn't give me a chance to finish before she takes off down the hall and down the stairs with Jake trailing after her.

Rose stops in front of me and gives me a look of disapproval. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" She shakes her head and then heads off after Bella and Jake.

I don't care what Rose says. I will protect Bella no matter what it costs me. Even if I get caught and have to go to prison at least I will know that Bella is safe.

**So, what did you think? Let me know! I love reviews! **

**The next chapter will be Bella's POV and her reaction to what she heard Edward say. Will she forgive him if he kills Riley? Will she try to stop them? Will this drive a wedge between them and make their relationship more difficult?**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! :) Sorry for my rant at the top. I just hate negative reviews without any constructive criticism. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I have the next four chapters done. I hope you still like the story. Please read and review. Enjoy! **

**BELLA'S POV**

Jake puts his arms around my shoulders and leads us out of the court room. Riley was free to go. He was free to roam the streets…he was free to come for me again. I knew now that I would never be able to be alone again. I would never feel comfortable again.

"It will be okay, Bells." Jake whispers into my hair. I lean into his warm chest to gain strength. I am more worried about Edward than I am about myself. He will not take this news well. His face showed me his true feelings he was trying to mask: pain, terror, and fiery anger. He excused himself from the courtroom and I knew it was because he needed a minute…he didn't want to snap in front of me.

We quietly exit the courtroom and I see Jasper, Emmett, and Edward huddled together speaking quietly to one another. I see Jasper throw up his hands and as Jake and I draw closer with Rose trailing behind us I hear Jasper's loud whispered words.

"Bella will never forgive you for this, Edward. She wouldn't want this."

What is he talking about? Why wouldn't I forgive Edward? What was he planning to do? Edward's voice breaks through my thoughts.

"I am willing to take that chance. I would rather have Bella live a long and happy life than be living in constant fear of Riley…even if she doesn't want to spend that life with me."

Why wouldn't I want to spend the rest of my life with Edward? What was going on? What was he saying that made Emmett look for frightened and pale? What was he saying that had Jasper so furious and troubled looking?

I watched as Edward ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"Don't do this." Jasper begs him.

"If I don't kill Riley Biers then Bella will never be safe!"

I gasp audibly and cover my mouth with my hand. Tears immediately fill my eyes. Edward was planning to kill Riley. He was going to kill Riley to protect me. He was going to ruin his life…he was going to kill someone…to protect me. I felt sick. Jake held me steady, but I could feel how rigid he was behind me. Edward turns around to face me and his eyes widen in surprise and then in fear…maybe even guilt.

"Bella-" He starts to speak to me and I know I can't hear this. I love him more than anything in the world, but I cannot listen to this. I take off running. I know that Jake will follow me…Edward is too stunned to move. I hear Rose say something to Edward before she follows me as well. I make it outside the court house and stop to catch my breath. Jake is next to me in a moment and he is pulling me against him and wrapping me in a hug as I let the sobs wrack through my body.

My perfect loving Edward…my perfect man is talking about murdering someone. This is what him being with me has led him to…he wants to kill Riley. I cannot allow that to happen. I can't allow him to do that. I would never forgive myself. It would destroy him. Right now, I know he thinks it is the right thing to do, but later it will destroy him. I know that. I won't allow it. I have to think of a way to stop him.

"Bella!" I hear Edward yell from the door of the courthouse when he sees me on the ground with Jake holding me.

I see Rose yelling at Edward as she pushes him back.

"I gotta get out of here." I manage to get out between sobs. Jake nods.

"Come on then." He hails a taxi and we get in. I hear Edward yell for me again, but I can't see him now…not yet. I have to figure out a way to stop him. I need to plead with him.

I pull myself together in the taxi. "Take me home now." I tell Jake. He nods and tells the driver my address. I know that Edward will come back to the apartment. I know he will be frantic with worry. I need to convince him to stop this madness…it is madness.

Jake and I let ourselves into the apartment and I go straight into the bedroom and slam the door. I want to be alone for a little while. Jake respects this and leaves me alone. He sits down in the living room to wait until Edward returns. I know that he won't leave me alone and I appreciate it. Five minutes later, Jake approaches the door.

"Edward just pulled in…he will be up in a minute. I just wanted to say Bella…that you need to go easy on him…you didn't see him when you were gone…he nearly died without you…now he is facing the prospect of Riley trying to take you away again…just think about that before you read him the riot act…all right?"

"All right." I say softly thinking about all Jake said. Did Edward see Riley's death as being the only way to protect me and keep me safe? Jake was actually defending Edward…it must have been really bad. My heart squeezes at the pain Edward must have felt. I didn't want to cause him any pain, not ever. So, was Riley really the problem or was it me?

"Bella!" I hear Edward's frantic voice fill the apartment. I hear Jake leave the apartment after whispering something to Edward.

Edward is on the other side of the door. "Bella, please…can I come in?" I take a deep breath and think about what I need to say. I need to save Edward from this. I will do whatever it takes…whatever it takes.

"Come in." I whisper. Edward is by my side a moment later and pulling me into his arms. His whole body is shaking with anxiety. He is so scared for me.

"Please just listen, Bella. I want to explain everything. I need to explain everything." He says frantically.

I pull away calmly and try to be brave. I try to calm my emotions without success. "Edward, you can't do this…please don't do this."

**So, what did you think? Let me know! I love reviews **

**The next chapter will be Edward's POV and more of their conversation. There will be a bit of an overlap as they try to talk it out. I just want you to hear it from both perspectives.**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you still like the story. Please read and review. Two in one day! I hope you guys love me. Let me know how much you like frequent updates when you review! Enjoy! **

**EDWARD'S POV**

After getting over my initial shock I run after Bella. I can't lose her…not after all this…I can't lose her. I manage to make it to the courthouse doors…I see her with her arms around Jake sobbing.

"Bella!" I yell out. I am in a panic. I know I scared her. I know she would never expect me to say something like that, let alone mean it. I attempt to run to her, just as she turns to see me. Her eyes widen in panic and Jake stands up beside her. Before I have a chance to race to her Rose is standing in front of me…irate.

"What the hell are the thinking, Edward? Are you crazy? How could you even think about doing something like that?"

I watch in frustration and panic as Bella gets into a taxi with Jake. "BELLA!" I call again, but she doesn't turn to look at me. I turn my attention to Rose and glare at her.

"What do you mean how can I think about doing something like that? He is going to get off Rose! He is going to be walking around like a free man after all he has done to Bella! You of all people should understand what she is going through."

Her eyes narrow at me and she points a finger in my face. "You have absolutely no idea what I went through. I know for a fact that Bella never told you. I also know that she hasn't told you everything about what she went through either. You don't know the first thing about what Bella and I have been through so don't you dare pull that card with me, Edward Cullen!"

She is livid and shaking. This is how Emmett finds us and he looks at me in anger. "What the hell man?" He questions.

I put my head in my hands. I don't have time for this right now. "You are right, Rose. I have no idea what happened to you and I know I don't know everything that happened with my Bella. All I do know is that he hurt her more than anyone ever has before. I know that he tried to destroy her…destroy us. I know that she lost…" I trail off unable to say it.

Rose finishes my sentence. "You know that she lost the baby, Edward." She says gently. I look at her stunned as she looks at me knowingly.

"Who do you think Bella asked to buy the pregnancy tests?"

I let this sink in that Rose knew the entire time that Bella had been missing that she was pregnant.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper to her. Emmett is just looking at us both in shock and has absolutely no idea what is going on.

Rose sighs, but speaks gently. "You couldn't have handled that. I knew that. Bella would not have wanted me to tell you." Her words bring back Bella speaking to her on the phone when she was still being held by Riley. I remember in vivid detail what she said to Rose that night.

"_I am telling you this, Rose, because you are the strongest person I know. I need you to take care of Emmy. I need you to make sure Edward doesn't do anything foolish now. You need to take care of them, Rose. Please take care of Edward. I can't handle the thought of him suffering because of what will happen to me. Promise me, Rose. Promise me, that you will be with him now and that you will keep him safe."_

I understand what she was trying to say now. No matter what happens to her…she was telling Rose not to tell me…to take care of me. She was thinking of me even with all the hell she was going through…she was worried about me…worried about me.

So, why wasn't I allowed to worry about her? Why wasn't I allowed to end this miserable monster's life?

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. "I need to get to Bella…to talk to her."

Rose nods. "I am sure she went home, Edward. Go and sort this out with her…but think about what I said. She doesn't want you to do this. Edward, you need to know that."

I nod as though I am contemplating her thoughts, but I am really dismissing her. I hail a taxi and tell the driver I will pay him double if he steps on it.

"Bella!" I call frantically as soon as I open the apartment door. Jake stands up from his seated position on the couch as soon as I enter. "She is in the bedroom…Edward, she is really vulnerable and her emotions are everywhere…be careful with her. Really careful." He whispers. I nod at him.

"Thanks, Jake." I tell him with feeling. He nods and then let's himself out of the apartment quietly.

I hurry over to the door and stand outside of it thinking about what Jake said about her emotional state. "Bella, please…can I come in?" I ask gently. I am worried that she won't let me in…that she is already shutting me out.

"Come in." She whispers. In the next moment, I am in the room with her. I have my arms wrapped around her as tightly as I can wrap them. I realize then that my entire body is shaking in panic.

"Please just listen, Bella. I want to explain everything. I need to explain everything." I say in a voice filled with tremors.

She pulls away and looks at me calmly. Her eyes betray her though as they fill with tears. "Edward, you can't do this…please don't do this." She begs me.

I look down and then back up into her eyes as tears fill my own eyes. "Please, let me explain."

Bella shakes her head. "Nothing you can say is going to justify what I heard. You can't kill him, Edward. It's wrong."

I know she is trying to be reasonable, but I can't be reasonable about this. "I don't think it's wrong. He hurt you. He killed our baby. He deserves to die. I don't want him breathing the same air as anyone. I want him gone. I want him dead. Buried."

Her small frame starts shaking and I move to pull her into my arms and she steps back. "You've changed." She says in a small voice.

It hurts to hear her say that, but I also know it is the truth. "I have changed, love. I am not willing to lose you ever again. I am willing to do anything to keep you safe. You will not feel safe until he is dead."

She shakes her head and the tears spill down her cheeks. "Do you love me, Edward?"

My heart is breaking. "How can you even ask me that?" I question as my voice cracks.

She looks at me with a serious look in her eyes. "I love you, Edward. I love you more than anyone. I love you more than I love myself. I cannot imagine a life without you. I won't imagine a life without you…if you do this, then you could go to prison. This is all my fault. If I had done things differently you wouldn't be like this. You wouldn't want to do this."

I cannot believe what she is saying. I cannot even fathom what she is telling me. "You are honestly blaming yourself for what that scumbag did to you? Bella, you are blameless. You are the victim here. Do not ever doubt that."

She refuses to look at me. "If you do this Edward, you are going to push us further apart. Do you want that?"

I know she is saying anything she can to get through to me. She has no idea how deep my convictions about this are. When I decided to kill Riley, I felt clarity and relief. I had not felt that since this all started. I am willing to risk it all to keep her safe. Even if she hates me for it…I will still protect her.

"I don't ever want to be away from you, love. I don't. Believe that. But, I can't…I can't let this go. If you feel as though you can't forgive me after this happens then I will respect…respect your decision to leave me." I choke on the last word as the tears keep flowing down my face.

Her eyes are wide with fear. She rushes to me and throws her arms around me. "Edward, even though I fear what you are going to do…even though I fear it will pull us apart…I am not sure I could ever leave you…I love you. I love you so much."

I am sobbing into her shoulder and she is clutching me as she cries as well. "I promise, Bella. I promise I will do whatever it takes to keep us from drifting apart, but I can't let this go. I just can't let him get away with this."

She pulls away suddenly and looks at me for a moment before backing away from me. "I guess your need for vengeance is greater than your love for me." She says quietly.

Before I can say anything in my defense, she has locked herself in our master bathroom. I stand on the other side of the door and slide down it slowly to sit in front of it. I hear the bath tub water running and I run my hands through my hair and pull on it causing me pain. The pain helps me to think…to see what she thinks of me. How I have changed in her eyes.

I am lost in my thoughts for several minutes and I realize the water is still running…is she all right in there?

Her words come back to me…they haunt me as I looked into her beautiful brown eyes…I watched them go hollow…I watched the life go out of them. "Your need for vengeance is greater than your love for me." She had said. There was another meaning in her words…something I was missing. Jake's words came back to me. "She is emotional…be careful with her. Very careful." Jake sensed something was wrong with her.

Suddenly, fear fills my entire being…something is wrong…something is wrong on the other side of this door. I jump to my feet and bang on the door frustrated by the lock on it.

"BELLA!" I scream.

No response. Dread quells in my stomach and fills me with a fear like no other. A fear so potent I can actually feel it coursing through my veins.

"BELLA!"

**CLIFFHANGER So, what did you think? Let me know! I love reviews! They seriously motivate me to continue writing.**

**The next chapter will be Bella's POV and more of their conversation. There will be a bit of an overlap as they try to talk it out. I just want you to hear it from both perspectives. What do you think is wrong with Bella? Any guesses? I would love to know what you think! I have already written the next three chapters and I am still writing away. :)**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you still like the story. Please read and review. I am going to warn you that this chapter is dark. Bella recalls a flashback of her time with Riley that pushes her over the edge after she has already dealt with Edward's changes. So, if you don't want to read about what happened with Riley then don't read the part in italics. Bella has an emotional meltdown here…Jake was right when he warned Edward to be careful because of Bella's emotional sensititivty. Edward realizes it and in this chapter you find out what Bella has done and why. I hope you still like it. I promise that Edward and Bella will get their HEA…you just have to bare with me while they sort through all they have been through and deal with the aftermath. I hope you like it. Please review and let me know. Enjoy! **

**BELLA'S POV**

Edward is looking deeply into my eyes and he is pleading with me to listen to him, to hear him out. "Please, let me explain."

I shake my head no. There is nothing he can say that will make what I heard okay. "Nothing you can say is going to justify what I heard. You can't kill him, Edward. It's wrong."

I don't know why he can't understand why it is wrong. I am the one who was tortured and abused by Riley. Why is he so fixated on Riley's death? We could still get him in court. The prosecutor didn't say that she wouldn't try.

Edward's voice is low and even. It chills me. "I don't think it's wrong. He hurt you. He killed our baby. He deserves to die. I don't want him breathing the same air as anyone. I want him gone. I want him dead. Buried."

I start shaking after he speaks. He is different and he is scaring me with his lack of emotion when he is talking about taking another's life. "You've changed." I say quietly unsure how else to put into words how much it is hurting me to know that my Edward is different…because of me.

He doesn't deny this. Edward doesn't lie to me and I know he won't start now. "I have changed, love. I am not willing to lose you ever again. I am willing to do anything to keep you safe. You will not feel safe until he is dead."

I shake my head and a sob catches in my throat. He doesn't understand it. He was not there in that room with me when I was hurt by Riley. I don't need Riley's death. I need my Edward, my strong, confident, loving man who has always gotten me through everything. I need that man who stood by me in the hospital and told me he couldn't live without me. The man who could pull me from the deepest pits of my own personal hell. Where was my Edward? He wasn't talking about love. He was talking about revenge. He wanted Riley to pay for what he had done to me. I know it was also about my safety in a way, but for the most part this was about making Riley pay for what he had done to us, done to me, and done to Edward. I need to make him see what I am trying to convey to him. His words frighten me and pierce my heart.

"Do you love me, Edward?"

"How can you even ask me that?" He questions me in a strained voice with his deep emerald green eyes filling with tears as they pierce through my own eyes. I feel his emotion in his eyes…I know he loves me. I have never doubted his love for me, but he is different and it is all my fault. I must have done something to make him change. Had I told him too much that it made him crack? Should I have not told him about the baby yet? What caused this change in him? What have I done?

I take a deep breath and look deeply into those beautiful eyes that I love more than any other eyes. I look into the eyes of the man I would die for. I look into those eyes and I know that I will do anything to save Edward from himself at this moment…anything. I will not allow him to do this and destroy himself over me. I will never forgive myself for it and we will never get past it if he does it. I will always feel like I had destroyed him along with myself if Riley's blood is on his hands. I have to stop him.

"I love you, Edward. I love you more than anyone. I love you more than I love myself. I cannot imagine a life without you. I won't imagine a life without you…if you do this, then you could go to prison. This is all my fault. If I had done things differently you wouldn't be like this. You wouldn't want to do this."

He is looking at me with credulous eyes. He can't blame me and I knew he wouldn't be able to blame me. He has never blamed me for anything throughout our entire relationship. He holds me in higher esteem than he does himself and his words shatter me.

"You are honestly blaming yourself for what that scumbag did to you? Bella, you are blameless. You are the victim here. Do not ever doubt that."

I can't look at him when I say what I say next. I am afraid of his answer. I already know what it will be and it terrifies me. For once, I want to not have read him correctly. I want to be able to move on from this and not look back on this terrible conversation. "If you do this Edward, you are going to push us further apart. Do you want that?" I hold my breath waiting for his response.

There is a long silence and I don't look at him until he starts speaking to me softly.

"I don't ever want to be away from you, love. I don't. Believe that. But, I can't…I can't let this go. If you feel as though you can't forgive me after this happens then I will respect…respect your decision to leave me." The tears are streaming down his face as he literally chokes on the words. I could never leave Edward. Not ever. I love him too much. He is my other half. Life without Edward is unlivable in my eyes. I won't survive without him.

My need to reassure him overwhelms everything else in my mind. I run to him and throw myself into his strong, loving arms. "Edward, even though I fear what you are going to do…even though I fear it will pull us apart…I am not sure I could ever leave you…I love you. I love you so much."

He is sobbing and I am sobbing as we cling to one another. "I promise, Bella. I promise I will do whatever it takes to keep us from drifting apart, but I can't let this go. I just can't let him get away with this."

Everything seems to clear for me in that moment. I see everything very differently. This conversation is much more serious than I originally thought. Edward tries to grab onto me, but I pull away from him and step back away from him. I can't touch him in this moment. Everything has changed for me and I see things as though through new eyes. "I guess your need for vengeance is greater than your love for me." I say quietly.

Before he can reply, I run into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. My broken leg throbs and the pain consumes me. I slide down against the door as tears slide down my cheeks. My Edward…my love is changing before my very eyes in his need for vengeance. His need for vengeance is overpowering everything else. I know he loves me, but it is as though something has shifted in him. I can't lose him to this darkness. I just can't.

I turn on the bath water and start to fill the tub. I feel disconnected with everything. My mind is blurry and I can't think clearly anymore. I walk over to the sink and take one of the sleeping pills the doctor prescribed to me. I had not taken any yet, but I need to rest. My emotions are raging and I can't think straight. As the steam fills the room, my mind wonders.

Flashbacks overcome me and I sink to my knees in pain and clutch my head in my hands.

"_Bella, Bella, Bella…when are you going to finally comprehend that you belong to me? What is it going to take for you to get it through that pretty little head of yours?" Riley asks in a soft, but deadly voice._

_I scoot back against the kitchen counter and my hands burn as the glass cuts into the palms. I look to Tanya for help, but she just sneers at me._

"_Edward won't miss you, Bella. He doesn't really love you. He wants me."_

_I shake my head violently. I know Tanya is crazy…I don't believe her. I don't. _

_She turns around and leaves me in my kitchen with Riley closing in on me. He kneels down beside me and examines my hands closely. I try to rip my hand from his grasp, but he holds it painfully still._

"_Now, I am trying to help you, Isabella. Why do you always have to fight me?" His face becomes a mask of rage. He yanks me by the hair and pulls me up. I scream as my scalp begs for relief. He hauls me off the floor and drags me to the bedroom I share with Edward. Terror fills my entire body. I cannot let this happen in that room. I can't let that happen. I avoided it at first when I told him I was pregnant…now I am not sure what will stop him._

_I keep praying that Edward will come home early and save me. Tanya waves at me as I am dragged across the apartment before she lets herself out._

"_Tanya, please!" I scream out. She ignores me and slams the door behind her._

_Riley picks me up and throws me on the bed. He climbs on top of me and I do the only thing I can think to do. I knee him as hard as I possibly can in the groin. He falls to the floor screaming in pain and anguish. I reach my phone on the floor and see that it is useless…broken. I run into the adjoining bathroom to look for a weapon. I pull out a razor and turn back around only to have Riley plow into me. _

_He pins me to the floor and starts tearing at my clothes. I scream and cry until he hits me…hard across the face and I see stars. _

I snap back to the present and more tears blur my eyes. This very room was the first time he had…he had hurt me. The first time he had raped me had been in here. I remember it now. The pain and anguish bubble up inside me as I remember every detail of my struggle in this very room with perfect clarity. Now that the fog has cleared I want nothing more than for it to come back to numb the pain in my heart. My head throbs and I know I can't live like this. My Edward is going to kill this monster and destroy himself…all because of me. Me. I am the common problem in this equation. I am the one who is causing so much suffering to all.

Maybe I led Riley on in high school…he told me I did. Maybe this is all my fault. Maybe I should have just gone through with it that day and ended my life like I had planned. However, that was the very day I had seen Edward's public plea for my safe return. He had saved my life that day. He was always saving me, but who was going to save him. I was this time. I was going to save him from a life with me. I brought only misery into his life.

All the flashbacks from this apartment and from the room at the warehouse course through me and I can't even breathe. I have to end this pain. I have to stop this pain. I can't do this…I won't drag Edward into this hole with me. I hope that he can forgive me, but if he doesn't at least he will be free of me and his quest for revenge. A small part of me knows that this will drive Edward into an even more uncontrollable rage, so I know I have to protect him from that if I can.

I pull out my cell phone and set it on the counter. I open the bottle of sleeping pills and fill a glass of water. I dump a hand full of pills into my hand and take them a few at a time downing them with water. Every time I take another mouthful the anxiety lessens. I feel almost at peace with making a decision that I am in control of. I haven't been in control in so long…it feels good.

After I have taken all of the pills, I compose a message to Rose. I say all that I can say in the message about Edward, my parents, Emmy, Jake, her, Alice, and Jasper. I also manage to say something to Carlisle and Esme. I also make it clear that I don't want Edward to go through with his plan. I hit send. My vision starts to blur when I hear Edward scream for me, but it sounds as if it is coming from a far distance. I knew it was only a matter of time before he realized something was happening to me. I had hoped to spare him any anguish I could. I don't deserve him. I have never deserved him. My body feels numb…the painful visions are fading as the drugs work through my system, poisoning me…

My vision gets hazy and I grab onto the edge of the tub and sink to the floor. The water from the tub has overflowed and is leaking out onto the floor. My leg doesn't hurt anymore. Nothing hurts anymore.

I hear Edward scream for me again and I try to answer him…to tell him goodbye. I at least owe him that…at least.

A loud bang resounds through the room and I hear the sound of splitting wood. Suddenly I see Edward above me with tears streaming down his cheeks. Did he break the door?

"BELLA!" He screams before pulling out his phone to call someone…I think. Everything is blurry and I am not really sure.

"Edward…I love…you." I manage to choke out.

He is crying and his tears are leaking on me…or is it the tub water? I am not sure. I barely feel the tears…my whole body is numb. "Baby, I love you, too. Hold on, baby. I love you. Hold on sweetheart. Please, don't leave me…don't leave me…please. Oh God, I am sorry, Bella. I am so so sorry."

His words cause my heart to break and I try to fight against the oppressive blackness that is engulfing me. Did I make a mistake? Should I have taken those pills? I can't think about anything else except fighting against the blackness. Do I want the blackness to win or not? Edward's sobs make me feel as though I may have made a mistake. His pain engulfs me driving a little of the numbness away as I try to fight the blackness for Edward's sake.

I hear Edward yelling something to someone. Who is here?

"I'm sorry." I whisper to my love.

"Baby…please…" My love begins, but I can't fight anymore and I succumb to the blackness…to the peacefulness that is trying to overtake me.

**CLIFFHANGER So, what did you think? Let me know! I love reviews **

**I know that this chapter is very depressing, but I promise it is necessary. Edward will think more clearly about how his decisions impact Bella. Not say he will change his mind or anything, but they change him. Do you think Bella will survive this unscathed? Why did she take the pills? I would love to know your thoughts.**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate all the support. I hope you still like the story. Please read and review. This chapter is from Edward's POV. He is very distraught and may not make a lot of sense some of the time. **

**EDWARD'S POV**

I have never been so frightened in my entire life. Even when she had been taken, I had never felt this afraid. I watch Bella's pale form lying on the gurney while the paramedics take care of her. Guilt floods through me. Her last words to me before the bathroom coursing through my entire body like a thousand stabbing needles…_"I guess your need for vengeance is greater than your love for me." _She had uttered those words and I had just stood there. I hadn't said a damn thing.

Why would she think that I needed revenge more than I needed her? I just needed Riley gone so I could protect her…my love for her was stronger than anything I had ever felt in my entire life. Why couldn't she see that?

I followed the paramedics to the ambulance just as Emmett and Rose pulled up to the apartment complex. I look at Rose in confusion and she throws her phone at me with a menacing glare before climbing into the ambulance with Bella.

The ambulance takes off and I quickly get into Emmett's car with him and we follow the ambulance to the hospital. I don't even have the strength to be angry with Rose for taking my spot in the ambulance.

"Read the text, man." Emmett says in a voice clogged with tears.

A text? Bella sent Rose a text…before…

Tears fill my eyes as I read the words from Bella to Rose.

_R-_

_I love you so much. I had a flashback and the pain is too much now. It's unbearable. I wish now that I could not remember what happened to me in my apartment. I can't take it without my Edward by my side. I have ruined him. He wants to go through with it and I can't stop him any other way. I won't let him ruin his life for me…it is my fault we are in this situation to begin with. I have to stop him and I don't know how._

_Tell my parents, and all the rest of our family that I love them. Give Emmy Bear a hug for me…be there for Alice, she will need you. Ask Jake to forgive me. Take care of Edward. Tell him I love him with all that I am and that I wouldn't want him to do this. If he loves me, he won't ruin his life for me now. I will be gone. I am gone. Love you, Rose, my sister, my best friend. Don't hate me._

_ -B_

I read the message three times as the guilt hits me tenfold. She had a flashback…she had a flashback in the bathroom and she didn't talk to me about it. She didn't look to me for comfort. Why? What had changed?

I know what had changed…she had heard my plan to kill Riley…but why would that change her confiding in me?

We reach the hospital and Bella is hurried into the emergency room. Carlisle is already there…somehow. I know he is in New York because of the trial…but I didn't think he would be in the hospital. He gives me a disapproving look before running off with Bella.

How did he know already? Emmett is looking at me with a guilty look on his face. He shrugs his shoulders as if to say he had no choice. I look down at my feet and say nothing. I don't expect Rose when she plows into me, pushing me back against a wall in her anger.

"You were supposed to fix this, Edward! You were supposed to fix this and now look what you have done!"

I stare at her in shock. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. Rose doesn't cry. She is always strong and brave.

"I needed to protect her, Rose. Why can't you or Bella understand that? She is not safe while he is walking around!"

Emmett maneuvers us into a conference room so we can yell freely without the looks we are getting.

Rose gets in my face and she is livid. "She doesn't need Riley dead, Edward! She needs YOU!"

Now I am frustrated. "SHE HAS ME!"

Rose shakes her head. "No, she doesn't. She wants 'her' Edward back. She wants the man she can count on for anything! She wants the man who can make her feel alive again no matter what happens in her life! Why can't you see that?"

Her words force me to look at things differently. Bella had not seen that Edward at all today. She had seen an angry, cold Edward. She had seen an emotionless side of me that scared her. She had been terrified of me. She said I had changed. I had changed, but not as much as she thought I had.

Rose continues when I say nothing. "She wanted to save you…she thinks you are worth saving. Do you think she would ever be able to get over it if you killed another person over her? She would never want that, Edward. Bella doesn't want revenge…she just wants YOU back." Rose's eyes fill with tears again and she looks away from me and buries her head in Emmett's shoulder to cry.

Rose's words hit me and I try to take them. Bella's text message to Rose makes sense. Bella had said she needed HER Edward…she needed me. She needed me to be the man I had been in the hospital when she first confided in me. She did not need a monster out for vengeance. I sit down in the chair heavily just as Jake and Charlie plow into the room.

Charlie runs over to be frantically for answers while Jake just glares at me. He knows I screwed up. He told me to be careful and what did I do? I crushed her. I made Bella think vengeance was more important than my love for her. I made Bella so desperate she wanted to end her own life. I am not looking forward to a conversation with Jake.

Rose fills Charlie in and shows him the text message. I am expecting an irate Charlie, but I am surprised by the sadness for me in his eyes.

"I know you love my daughter, son. Now you need to prove to her that you love her more than you want Riley dead."

I nod even though I still want both to be true. Jake comes over to me then and pushes against my chest. I feel the anger radiating off of his entire body.

"I warned you! I told you she was emotional! I told you to be VERY careful! What the hell, man?" Jake is furious, but I don't miss the tears in his eyes. He hates me again and he has every right to hate me.

"You think I don't want that bastard dead? I do, Edward! But Bella doesn't want that! She doesn't want that! When are you going to think about what she wants and get over yourself?"

I know he is just angry and he is taking it out on me. I know what he is saying. Bella would not want me to do it. He and Rose are absolutely right. Could I really let him live after what he had done to Bella? Could I leave him alone? I wasn't sure about it.

Carlisle chooses that moment to enter the room. We all stand in anticipation.

"How is she?" Emmett asks as soon as Carlisle closes the door.

Carlisle refuses to look at me. He addresses Charlie and Jake. "We were able to pump her stomach in time. She will be just fine."

We all sigh in relief, but my father still won't look at me. "The regular emergency room doctor wants her to see a psychiatrist twice a week as part of her treatment. I think that is a good idea."

Charlie nods quickly as does Jake. My father is still avoiding me. He is angry with me.

Rose shakes her head and looks at Carlisle in irritation. "Bella has been through a traumatic ordeal. She is not crazy!"

Rose feels as though Bella is being maligned here and my dad is quick to reassure her.

"No one thinks she is crazy, Rose. However, she did try to kill herself. Emmett told me she had flashbacks combined with an emotional confrontation with Edward. It became too much for her. She needs help in order to control these emotions and stabilize them. She can't do it herself, Rose, at least not right now."

Rose nods seeming satisfied that Carlisle is not saying she is crazy.

"Can I see her?" I ask.

Carlisle shakes his head. "Charlie and Jake, you both can go in. I need a moment alone with my son."

Oh great. This is going to be fantastic.

**How mad do you think Carlisle is? What do you think he will have to say to his son? The next chapter is still in Edward's POV. It also includes Bella's reaction after waking up. How do you think she will react? I would love to hear what you think! **

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate all the support. I hope you still like the story. Please read and review. This chapter is from Edward's POV. He and his father are going to have a conversation. I hope that you like it. It is a little on the short side, but I promise to update the next chapter soon. **

**EDWARD'S POV**

My dad is looking at me in barely concealed anger. Rose and Emmett leave the room and my father shuts the door behind him. I am not sure I want to be alone with my father right now.

He sighs deeply before looking me in the eye, what I see there makes me feel guilty. He knows me so well and I know he is going to question me until I come clean about everything. Damn Emmett!

"Is it true, Edward? Are you planning to contact the Volturi drug cartel to help you murder Riley Biers?"

He phrases it as a question, but I know he knows the truth.

"It is." I say flatly. I know any attempt to hide will be a mistake. He knows the truth. Why hide it?

He shakes his head and his face goes red with anger. "What in the hell are you thinking about? Do you want to spend the rest of your life in prison, Edward? Do you really think you would get away with it? The Volturi would frame you for the murder! They wouldn't help you! They would need a scapegoat. You would go to jail and then Bella would be alone. Do you want to live your life without Bella?"

I wince as his comment hits its mark…my heart. I hate thinking about Bella having to be alone. If I went to prison she would be alone without me to protect her. I know that Jake and Emmett would protect her with their lives, but she wanted me. "At least she would be safe from Riley." I quip when I can't come up with anything else to say.

My dad strides over to me quickly and gets in my face. "I think we have already established today that she needs you, Edward. She won't make it without you. Why can't you see that? Bella had a terrible flashback…I cannot even imagine what it was about that caused such a reaction, but she had one. Usually she would go to you without question to talk about anything. She felt she couldn't come to you because you were consumed with this pathetic plan for revenge. She lost her outlet. She lost the one person she trusts and loves above all others. You left her alone, Edward…tell me, was she safe?"

I step back in shock as his words sink in. She hadn't confided in me tonight. Was it because she thought I wouldn't be there for her? Did she honestly question my love for her? She had tried to end her life to save me. Everything clears for me and I see things the way Bella wished for me to see them. I see Bella terrified of me because of my emotionless call for Riley's death. I see Bella's eyes go dead when she thinks I want revenge more than her love. How would I feel if I thought Bella chose something else over me? I would be devastated. I would be utterly devastated and I had not been through the type of trauma my Bella had been through.

I was an idiot. I was an idiot and I only hoped she would forgive me.

"May I see her now, dad?" I ask quietly. My dad sees the changes in my expression and his eyes soften.

"Of course. He will pay for this, my son. One day, Riley Biers will pay."

I nod again and he leads me out of the door and down the hall to Bella's room. I think the entire walk to her room. I will make sure that Riley Biers pays for this, but I will have to be careful about it. I don't want to upset Bella anymore. If I decide to kill Riley, I will have to be very discreet. Once in the room I see that she is awake. I hurry to her side and look down at my beautiful girl. She looks exhausted and sad, but still so incredibly beautiful. I long to pull her into my arms and hold her tightly against my chest and apologize for hours on end.

She sees me and her beautiful chocolate brown eyes study me for a long time without saying anything. She doesn't speak and it worries me. Bella always says what she is thinking…well at least to me.

I decide to break the silence and help her out...maybe make everything less awkward right now with Charlie and Jake sitting in chairs around her bedside as well. Jake is still holding her hand and before I speak she squeezes Jake's hand tightly and he winces as though in pain.

I take a deep breath and let the words rush out of me. I have so much to say to her and this will be a start. "Bella, I love you. I am so sorry. I am so so sorry. Please forgive me."

I reach out for her hand and she completely surprises me when she pulls her hand back away from me and tucks it under her blanket.

"Bella-" I start, but she surprises me again by turning on her side. She turns away from me and appears to be staring out the window. She let's go of Jake's hand and I watch his reaction to her new mood. I see sadness and worry etched in his features and this concerns me all the more.

Finally, Bella speaks, but it is nothing like what I thought she would say to me. "Please just leave. Everyone just leave. Leave me alone."

My heart feels as though it might actually shatter. I cannot move. My feet are frozen. Bella did not show any emotion. She did not want to see me or anyone else for that matter. What changed? How was I going to fix it?

**So, what did you think of Edward's conversation with his dad? What about Bella's reaction to him? What do you think will happen?**

**I know this is a short chapter, but I promise I will update very soon! I am already done with the next chapter as well.**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! I read each and every one of them and they inspire me to write more! I really appreciate all the support. I hope you still like the story. Please read and review. This chapter is from Bella's POV. I hope you enjoy getting into her head a little while. Please review **

**BELLA'S POV**

The blackness was peaceful. I enjoyed remaining in the darkness. There was no pain, no agony. I felt comforted in the nothingness. I didn't want to go back. I only caused pain.

The brightness hurt my eyes as I was hurled back into the light.

"Bella, hold on sweetheart!" I hear Carlisle's voice. I want to tell him about what happened…I know he will stop Edward, but I can't speak.

I look up at the lights that are moving fast over my head as I am wheeled somewhere. I close my eyes again and try to find the comfortable blackness once more.

The next time I open my eyes, I am in a small private room. Charlie and Jake are there with me on either side. They are both crying and as soon as I open my eyes my dad nearly jumps on the bed to hug me.

"Bells, don't do that to me ever again. Please." He whimpers.

I nod, but say nothing. I can't talk about it…I can't promise anything right now.

I turn to look at Jake and his eyes narrow. "You have to deal with this…there is no more hiding Bells."

He is right. I know he is right, but I say nothing. I don't want to talk about anything. I have nothing to say right now. I have to organize my thoughts and stay strong. I have to be strong. I have made a decision. I have to be strong and stand by my decision. I am a mess and I don't deserve Edward. I need to let him go…I need to let everyone go. I am bringing everyone down. I just want them to commit me, so I will stay in the hospital away from everyone. They should just lock me away…or send me back to Riley. He was right when he said I wasn't worth it…it hurts to know he was right.

I hear footsteps and I take a deep breath. I know Edward is now with me. I smell him as soon as he comes into the room. His irresistible smell.

He immediately comes to the bed and begins apologizing to me. He always has to apologize to me. It wasn't his fault I did something so stupid. It was my fault. I was done letting Edward pay for my mistakes, but I knew he wouldn't really listen to me now. I would have to get out of the hospital and then we would have to have the painful discussion.

"Bella, I love you. I am so sorry. I am so so sorry. Please forgive me."

His words cause my heart to break. I hold on to my resolve with a steel grip. I cannot waver…I cannot let him sacrifice anything else for me. I am destroying him…I am a monster and it has to stop.

He reaches out for my hand and I long for his touch, but I deny my body this one simple pleasure and tuck my hand in my blanket and turn on my side away from him. I don't deserve to have a simple pleasure. I deserve nothing. I pretend to stare out the window, but I really don't see anything.

"Bella-" Edward begins and his velvety voice is almost my undoing. I have to be strong. I can't always be a weak pathetic mess.

"Please just leave. Everyone just leave. Leave me alone." I whisper and then I close my eyes to try and will myself back into darkness. I know he is still there next to my bed.

I just want them to leave me alone. I want them all to leave me alone. Carlisle asks them all to leave. Edward refuses just as I knew he would.

Do you ever feel like you are floating high above yourself? That you are not really in your body? Not really an out of body experience, but more like you are on the outside looking in? I wonder when my life no longer felt like my own. I wonder when I no longer felt worthy of anything anymore. I know now that it is because Riley stole that away from me…I know I can't ever get it back. It died the night my baby died in the darkness of that cold, dirty room.

Edward sits in the chair beside my bed. I can actually see him mirrored in the glass window pane. I avert my eyes so I don't see him. Seeing Edward makes me weak. I have to be strong. I have to be strong for him now.

"Bella, please…" He whispers and his voice is so broken. It takes everything inside of me not to turn to him and allow him to hold me. I long for him to hold me and then I remember his plan for revenge and realize what I have turned Edward into.

"Please go." I whisper. I know it won't change anything. I know that he won't leave me now.

"I can't…I won't go. I need you, Bella. I love you." His voice is agonizing and it fills me with the most heart wrenching feelings.

I decide that I can't say anything right now. He is not going to hear my out right now. However, I know that I need to say something else. I don't want him to have any hope for us. I want him to move on without me.

"It's over, Edward." I whisper and I choke back a sob.

Edward rushes to the other side of the bed and holds me in place so I can't turn away from him.

"No," he begins softly, but with a firm voice. "It is not over, love. It never will be. I am going to help you through this even if you fight me every step of the way."

I try to remain emotionless, but the tears fall down my cheeks in twin waterfalls and I gasp for breath. Edward is crying as well and he looks completely broken…it breaks me to see him like that.

I have to make him understand…to see what I have done to him. "I have broken you…" I don't know how else to say it.

He looks shocked and then leans in close to my face and takes my hand in his. "You did nothing wrong, love. I am so sorry you heard me talking about that. I am so so sorry."

I sigh and turn away from him then, shoving his hand away. He said he was sorry that I heard him, not that he was sorry he said it. My resolve slightly strengthened I spoke again.

"You can't love a ghost." That is all I can say to him before I close my eyes and let me emotions overtake me silently. I block out all sounds. I don't hear what Edward is saying to me. I don't hear anything. My thoughts drown out everything around me and I gratefully sink back into unconsciousness…into the welcoming blackness.

**So, what do you think about Bella's reaction? Do you think she is justified? Will Edward get through to her? Please let me know what you think.**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! You are all wonderful. I know that this chapter is a little short, but I have been super busy with real life. However, I couldn't leave you hanging for too long so I wanted to get this out to you all and I hope it can hold you over for another two days or so. I am going to start working on the next chapter right now. Please read and review. I hope you enjoy it.**

**EDWARD'S POV**

Pain. So much pain. Pain everywhere. Pain enveloping every part of me like a thousand tiny daggers stabbing me and piercing my skin. I didn't know such pain existed. I lived in the nothingness that surrounded me only brought to awareness by the intense pain that tortured me constantly ever second.

"It's over, Edward." She had told me… "You can't love a ghost." She told me. "I've broken you…"

All those words and none of them can be true. Bella is not a ghost. She has not broken me. And my relationship with Bella will never be over. I have to fight for the both of us now. I need to strengthen her will to live. I need to help her through this.

I have not given up on my plan to kill Riley Biers, but I am not going to think about that right now. Bella needs me now. She needs me to hold her, to listen to her, and to just be there for her. There will be time to plan my revenge on Riley Biers later.

I have not left Bella's bedside in the past eighteen hours. She stopped listening to me, or anyone for that matter. She seemed not to hear us. My dad told me she needs some time to sort out her thoughts in her head to try and make sense of what she did. Dad says she probably didn't really think about the act itself or the aftermath.

It makes me feel even worse. I know that I am the reason she had locked herself in the bathroom to begin with. I am the reason she was alone and depressed when she had that flashback. I wonder what kind of flashback would cause her that much pain. I am worried about it. I am not sure if we will ever be able to live in that apartment again. I am not sure I could live there after whatever happened with Riley there and now Bella's attempted suicide.

Rose it currently sitting in the seat by Bella's bed brushing her hair out. Bella doesn't seem to notice as Rose talks to her in a soft, reassuring voice.

"We will all be here waiting for you when you feel like talking. We love you. I love you so much, Bella. I have so much to tell you, so you need to get better soon."

I sigh when Bella's glazed eyes don't show a hint of emotion.

Rose doesn't turn to look at me.

"I know she isn't listening to me right now. She needs time to heal herself before she lets us in again."

I snort. "This is not healing, Rose." I say.

Rose turns to look at me and she looks furious. "How could you know? You couldn't possibly…" She trails off and then shuts her eyes and takes a free deep breaths before opening them. "She needs to process what she did. After the shock wears off, she will. That is what happened with me." She says softly.

I look at her in surprise. "How what happened, Rose?"

She sighs, and turns away from me and goes back to brushing Bella's hair. "I am not going to share the details with you. I have only ever told Emmett and Bella. I was raped a few years ago. They never caught him. He is still out there. He…he ruined me in so many ways." She stops for a second and then turns around to face me hesitantly.

"Emmett went crazy when I finally told him. He wanted to hunt the guy down and kill him. It was difficult for me then because he was so focused on his hatred of that bastard than on me. It took him a few days, but he finally became my Emmett again. We got through it together."

I nod and think about what she said. The similarities were shocking both between Rose and Bella and Emmett and me.

Rose continues. "I know that you want him to pay, Edward. I want him and the guy who hurt me to pay, too. But…I can't live like that. I can't live with the constant strain of losing the man I love to a guy who is worth no more than a piece of trash in a junkyard. Emmett is what I need. I can get through anything if I have him by my side. I can beat anything. Bella can to, but she needs you. She needs you and not your revenge."

I had come to this realization myself, but it helped to hear it from Rose.

"Thank you, Rose." I tell her sincerely.

She smiles briefly before turning back to Bella. "She will come back to you, Edward, of that I have no doubt. You are soul mates and nothing can keep you apart."

Her words relieve me somewhat and renew my strength and faith. Bella and I will come through this as one just as we always will.

**I wanted to give a little hope in this chapter. I wanted to make sure that you all knew that Edward will never give up on Bella. Of course he won't. The next chapter will be Bella's POV where she starts to become aware again. She will be seeing a therapist. Will she confide in Edward right away? Or will it take her more time to come back? Thoughts? Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Thank you so much for the reviews! You are all wonderful. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is from Bella's POV. I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is the beginning of Bella crawling out of the darkness and trying to save herself. I hope you like it. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! You all rock!**

**BELLA'S POV**

Awareness begins to awaken as it drags the numbness away from my body. I try to grip the numbness, to keep it a part of me. I didn't have to face my life when I was blanketed in the numbness of my pain.

However, reality wasn't going to allow me that. I have to face what I had done. I have to face what happened to me. I know that, just as I have known even in my mental state that Edward hasn't left my side for however long it has been. Has it been hours? Days? Weeks? I am unsure.

I just know I don't want to be a ghost. I want to live. I want to feel deserving of Edward's love. I want…I want to trust Edward again. As the numbness recedes, my mind is able to process that Edward is talking to me with his eyes downcast and his hands are clutching one of mine tightly in a vice.

"I miss you, my Bella. I remember our first kiss with perfect clarity. I remember our first kiss with perfect clarity. I remember your first day at Forks High School and how drawn I had been to you. You have always been so damn strong. You have always been there for me when I needed you. How could I have abandoned you in my quest for revenge when you needed me?"

I feel his tears drip onto my hand and a small whimper escapes me. I detest seeing him in pain. He hears me and raises those glorious burning eyes to my own. When he sees I am lucid he begins to cry anew.

"Love? Bella are you all right? I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry."

I reach my hand out and caress his cheek and he smiles slightly at me.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Edward asks me earnestly.

I know I have already forgiven Edward. I understand why he has changed. I know what has happened to me impacts him just as much if not more so. So, I nod at Edward and watch as he cries more tears. I can't cry, not yet. I need to see a counselor and soon. I tried to end my life because of what I saw. I had to talk it out and I can't do that with Edward. If I do, he will always want to kill Riley. I know eventually I will tell him, but not yet.

"I need help." I whisper to Edward.

Edward just clutches me tightly against his chest.

"I'll help you. We'll get through this together."

I knew he would suggest that, so I am ready with my response. "No, I want to talk to a counselor. Could you let your father know? Please." I finish quietly.

His eyes are filled with hurt and sadness, but he tries to hide it from me.

"Sure, of course. Whatever you need." He says quietly. He pages a nurse and Carlisle is in the room only moments later.

"Bella, how wonderful that you are back. What can I do for you, sweetheart? Carlisle asks me in a pleasant yet concerned voice.

I take a deep breath and focus entirely on Carlisle, not wanting to lose my nerve. "I need to see a counselor right now, as soon as possible. I need someone to talk to immediately."

Carlisle flashes Edward a look of concern before addressing me.

"The only counselor available today is Dr. Paul Lahote. If you would prefer to wait for a female counselor, I…"

I cut him off. "Dr. Lahote will be just fine." I swallow down the fear and focus on what I need to do.

"Very well." Carlisle says distractedly.

I look over at Edward and he is looking down at his hands. Carlisle leaves to arrange my appointment and Edward speaks.

"You haven't forgiven me. If you had then you would confide in me as we have always done."

I don't want to hurt him, but I have to be honest. He deserves that and so much more.

"Edward, I do forgive you, but…I can't worry about setting you off with what I say. I don't want you to go off and kill Riley. I don't think you are ready to hear what I know now."

His eyes fly up to meet mine. "What you remembered in the bathroom?" He asks and I nod.

"I just…I need to talk to a professional, Edward. I tried to kill myself because of a memory coming back to me. That isn't normal. I need to heal myself. I need to heal so we can heal together."

His eyes fill with shame. "I understand. I'm sorry that what I said hurt you." He tells me softly.

I sigh in obvious frustration. "I don't want you to be sorry you hurt me. I want you to be sorry you said it in the first place!"

Edward runs his hands through his hair in frustration and yanks on it. He doesn't speak for a long time.

"I'm sorry." He whispers brokenly.

I know what he isn't saying and he knows that I know it, too. He is sorry he hurt me, but still plans to kill Riley. I am not sure what is worse, the immense sadness I feel or the scorching anger that he still doesn't understand me, or just doesn't want to understand me.

As the pain inside my heart grows I feel complete despair overtake me. I decide that I need Edward to leave the room for a while. I need some space and some time to think. I cannot allow him to destroy his life and he still plans to try. I am not strong enough to deal with that. Not yet.

"Edward, I need a little time to myself right now."

His eyes flash with fear. "Bella, please."

"Please go. I just…I have…" I can't quite get it out, but I don't have to say anything. A deep voice fills the room.

"I believe Ms. Swan asked you to leave. You have to anyway because we are about to have a therapy session."

He is a tall, good looking man in his late twenties. He walks across the room ignoring Edward and reaches out his hand to shake mine in introduction.

"Hello, Ms. Swan. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dr. Paul Lahote. Please call me Paul."

His eyes are warm and he is so friendly that I offer him a small smile. "Call me Bella." I offer.

"Bella." He says with a smile. He turns to Edward. "I will make sure your father contacts you when you are allowed back into the room."

Edward's eyes are filled with anger as he looks at Paul, but are filled with tears when he looks at me and I know I have to reassure him.

"Edward, I promise we will talk right after my session. I love you." I tell him.

The pain in his eyes lessens somewhat as he responds.

"I love you, too." Before he slowly and painfully leaves the room…taking my shattered heart with him.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Bella is finally on the mend. What do you think about Dr. Paul? Do you think he will cause trouble ahead? Do you think that Edward will let go of his hatred and need for revenge? I would love to hear your thoughts!**

**Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful! Please review!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I know I have some frustrated reviewers who are angry that Bella is upset with Edward for wanting to kill Riley. All I can say is that you need to wait for everything to play out. Bella is going through a lot right now and she can't handle losing Edward too. Let's just say that Edward is looking for a loophole…he changes his plan…a little…in this chapter. I have to replay some of the dialogue from the previous chapter so that you can get a look inside Edward's head. It is important for you to understand how he is processing all of this. I hope you like it. Please read and review! Thank you so much!**

**Edward's POV**

I miss my Bella. I miss my confident girl who would overcome any obstacle unchanged. I miss my girl who always understood what was going on in my head. I miss knowing what is going on in hers. My Bella is different, as am I. Does this change anything? Of course it does, but not drastically. I will love Bella for the rest of my life. I will never want another woman. She will always be my Bella no matter what we endure. I will never leave her. We need to communicate. I need her to understand me and I need to understand her as well.

I sit by her hospital bed and just talk incessantly. I talk until my voice is hoarse and my throat is filled with pain and dryness. It doesn't matter as long as I can reach her and get her to come back to me so I can tell her how very sorry I am that I wasn't there when she needed me to be there.

"I miss you, my Bella. I remember our first kiss with perfect clarity. I remember our first kiss with perfect clarity. I remember your first day at Forks High School and how drawn I had been to you. You have always been so damn strong. You have always been there for me when I needed you. How could I have abandoned you in my quest for revenge when you needed me?"

I cry copious tears and clutch her hand tightly in mine. I still want Riley to pay for what he has done to Bella, but I need to be here for Bella now. I can't do anything about Riley right now. I need to help Bella and that is what I am going to do. I hear a whimper and look up into Bella's beautiful, alert eyes.

"Love? Bella are you all right? I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry."

She reaches out her hand and caresses my cheek, wiping my tears away.

"Can you ever forgive me?" I ask her eagerly.

I need to know if she can forgive me. I want us to grow closer now and not be torn apart because of that monster.

"I need help." She whispers and I clutch her tightly against my chest. I am so relieved that she is talking to me. I need her to let me in and trust me again.

"I'll help you. We'll get through this together." I say to comfort her.

She stiffens slightly in my arms and she pulls back to look at me carefully. "No, I want to talk to a counselor. Could you let your father know? Please." She asks me quietly.

Even more pain hits me and I try not to let it show. I need to be here for her. If she wants to talk to a counselor I am not going to stand in the way of that.

"Sure, of course. Whatever you need." I say and page the nurse to fetch my dad.

My dad comes in all smiles and talks to Bella. I cannot even process what he is saying. I am only aware of Bella and her leeriness. She takes a deep breath and then tells my father what she wants. "I need to see a counselor right now, as soon as possible. I need someone to talk to immediately."

I don't even look up at my father, knowing his eyes will be fixated on me.

"The only counselor available today is Dr. Paul Lahote. If you would prefer to wait for a female counselor, I…"

Bella cuts him off. "Dr. Lahote will be just fine." I swallow down the fear and focus on what I need to do.

"Very well." My dad says and then there is a long pause. By the time I look up, my dad has left the room and I can feel Bella staring at me, willing me to look at her, but I can't yet.

"You haven't forgiven me. If you had then you would confide in me as we have always done."

It is the only thing that makes any sense. She has always confided in me no matter what. She confided in me initially after she was taken. Why not now?

"Edward, I do forgive you, but…I can't worry about setting you off with what I say. I don't want you to go off and kill Riley. I don't think you are ready to hear what I know now."

My eyes fly up to meet hers and a million emotions course through me. "What you remembered in the bathroom?" I ask and she nods slightly before looking down at her hands.

"I just…I need to talk to a professional, Edward. I tried to kill myself because of a memory coming back to me. That isn't normal. I need to heal myself. I need to heal so we can heal together."

What she says makes a lot of sense and I don't feel so bad about her talking to someone else. We have a lot to work out and I know we won't be able to go through all our issues until she has talked to a professional about some of her issues that are troubling her. I know why she can't tell me everything about Riley. She knows I am close to the breaking point. I am close to snapping and it is like she can sense that. I feel guilty that she has to worry about me on top of everything else. The last thing I have ever wanted was for Bella to be hurt.

"I understand. I'm sorry that what I said hurt you." I tell her honestly.

She sighs and looks at me with frustration clear on her face. "I don't want you to be sorry you hurt me. I want you to be sorry you said it in the first place!"

She doesn't understand. I know she may see it as being wrong, but I don't. I refuse to believe Riley should get away with what he did to her. I wonder why she is okay with it. If he does not go to prison, then I am going to take care of it. However, now is not the time to have that discussion. Bella may not ever be ready to have that discussion. I may need to act on my own in this case.

"I'm sorry." Is all I can say…I can't offer her an apology like she wants, like she deserves. I don't want to lie to her. I don't want her to be hurt, but I cannot say I am sorry for saying what I said. Riley nearly destroyed her and the all of those who love her because of his evilness and his selfishness. He is crazy and no one is going to convince me otherwise. I know that she is going to be angry with my answer. I watch her eyes go dark with anger, but also sadness. I am suddenly a little frightened by what she might say.

"Edward, I need a little time to myself right now."

Fear works its way through my body and I know I can't leave her side…I can't. "Bella, please."

"Please go. I just…I have…" She struggles for words and another voice enters are conversation and saves her the trouble of answering me.

"I believe Ms. Swan asked you to leave. You have to anyway because we are about to have a therapy session."

The man who enters the room ignores me completely and goes to shake Bella's hand. I cannot help the small bit of jealously that courses through me as she attempts to smile at him, when she won't smile at me.

"Hello, Ms. Swan. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dr. Paul Lahote. Please call me Paul."

"Call me Bella." She offers. I have a bad feeling about this guy. I can't put my finger on it, but I know something is off with him. I just have to figure out what it is.

"Bella." He says with a smile. He turns to me and his eyes are hard and cold as he addresses me, but he keeps his tone cordial. "I will make sure your father contacts you when you are allowed back into the room."

I feel anger towards this strange man who is about to be privy to my Bella's secrets. I turn to look at Bella and my eyes fill with tears. Her eyes fill with sadness and I know she is sorry that this is hurting me.

"Edward, I promise we will talk right after my session. I love you." She tells me and it is what I need to hear in order to move out of the room.

"I love you, too." I tell her before leaving the room and closing the door behind me.

I stalk down the corridor and come face to face with Jasper. Jasper takes in my stiff frame and the anger and sadness that must be written all over my face before pulling me to sit down in a chair right there is the hallway.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He questions in a quiet, calm voice. Jasper has that effect on everyone. He is a calming presence.

I know I need to talk to someone or I will scream.

"Bella asked to speak to a counselor. She didn't want to talk to me." The words hurt so much to say, but Jasper is quick with a response.

"Edward, Bella needs to speak with a professional. She tried to take her life. This is beyond your ability to heal."

I disagree with him. I think that Bella and I can come back from anything together. We are stronger together and weaker apart. However, I see the logic in what Jasper is telling me. It is what Bella tried to tell me.

"She is stronger than you give her credit for." Jasper whispers and my anger returns.

"I know how strong she is! I just feel like I am losing her. I can't lose her because of Riley. I just can't!"

Jasper nods in understanding. "So, are you still planning to go ahead with your plan?"

I hesitate for a second before answering. "Of course I am. I can't let that bastard walk."

"Edward, I really think you should wait. The next trial could be different. What if you get caught? What if you go to jail? What will happen to Bella then?"

I ponder his words and then it hits me. "I won't kill him, but I will make sure that the Volturi know that he is the reason Cauis is dead."

Jasper looks stunned. "How are you going to manage that?"

I smile finally. "I have a few less than desirable contacts I could use. I will make sure it can't be traced back to any of us. I won't have to take Riley out…the Volturi will do it for me."

Jasper looks doubtful. "What happens if they find out you were involved?"

"They won't, but I guess if they do…I was only trying to give them a little tip to help them catch their brother's murderer. Why would they want to seek me out?"

Jasper's eyes still look troubled. "Be careful, Edward. You are playing with fire here."

I stand up with resolve. This is a plan I can work with. I won't kill Riley. I won't tell Bella. I won't tell anyone, but Jasper. "Well a little burn will be worth it." I say confidently. I look around before lowering my voice. "This goes no further than the two of us. I don't want anyone else to know."

Jasper hesitates and then nods finally. "If that is what you want."

"It is." I say. "Also, there is something else you could do for me."

"Name it." He says.

"Find out everything there is to know about Dr. Paul Lahote."

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think of Edward's new plan for Riley? Will he pull it off? Will Jasper keep his secret? What skeletons do you think are lurking in Dr. Paul's closet? I would love to hear your thoughts! Please review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I hope you aren't angry with me! I know I have been MIA for a little while. Real life has been crazy lately. I know some of you would really like an update schedule. I am going to update this story every Sunday. I may update more if I have time, but there will be an update every Sunday. I hope that works for all of you. I promise you that I will finish this story. I hope you all still like it. Hope is coming and it won't always be as dark as it had been. I hope you enjoy this chapter and learning about Dr. Paul's true colors. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please read and review! Thank you so much for all the reviews! You are all wonderful!**

**Edward's POV**

Dr. Paul is what he asked me to call him. He sits at his desk and I sit in the chair right in front of his desk. This is our third therapy session. We have met the past three days. The first day, I just told him a little about myself and Edward. I didn't even touch on any of the horrors. He told me to take my time and when I was ready to talk he would be there to talk to me about it. He was so patient and understanding. He told me that he wanted me to be completely comfortable with him before opening up to him. During my second session, he told me quite a bit about himself. He is twenty nine years old. He has never been married or even gotten close to it. He lives in an apartment at Central Park West. It is a very wealthy neighborhood. I guess he told me all of that information to make us seem like friends so I would want to confide in him. I want to confide in him because I need to get it out of myself. In the second session, I told him about Riley in high school. I also told him about Riley's obsession with me. I told him how many times I had rejected Riley over the years and how I feel a little responsible for what happened to me because I probably wasn't clear enough. Dr. Paul assured me that was quite common for someone in my situation to feel unfounded guilt.

So now I am sitting across the table ready to begin my third session with him and I am a nervous wreck. I know that today I am going to open up to him and tell him what I remembered. I am going to tell him what happened to me when Riley had taken me. I am going to finally tell someone everything. He senses my nerves and smiles at me.

"Bella, we don't have to talk about it today if you aren't ready. I am a very patient man."

I nod, but then shake my head. "No, I need to start talking about it. I want to heal, so I can work on my relationship with Edward."

He frowns slightly, but then smiles again…maybe I imagined it. I am not sure. "Well, why don't we start with your abduction. You told me that a memory about your abduction prompted you to take the pills. What did you remember?"

I look down at my hands and I feel the sweat between them. I rub my hands on my pants and then look up at Dr. Paul. He is looking at me with kind eyes filled with understanding.

"Riley came to take me away. When I became difficult, he changed his plan slightly. He wanted to make me pay for loving Edward instead of him. When I tried to escape him, in the bathroom, he followed me in there and…and on the floor…he…he…hurt me for the first time sexually."

I take a deep breath and let it out. Dr. Paul nods and then speaks softly. "You had blocked that memory out?" I nod at him. "Why that memory, Bella? That is important."

I shrug. "I guess because it was the first time he did it…or because it was in a place where I had been so happy with Edward…or because of the pain I felt when it happened…or the fact that I felt like less of a person after the incident. I won't ever be a whole person again because of that happening to me."

I am surprised with all the feelings that came rushing out. I am shocked at what I had just revealed to Dr. Paul and to myself.

Dr. Paul does not seem stunned at all. "I think it was a combination of all those things, Bella. I think all of those things contributed to your lapse in judgement."

I scoff at him. "Lapse in judgement? I tried to kill myself."

He shrugs. "We all make mistakes. I would say that given what you had been through it isn't surprising. You didn't see a therapist until now. Why not in Seattle?"

I answer without hesitation. "I confided in Edward. I told him a lot of things."

He doesn't seem surprised. "Then why talk to me now? Why not him?"

I don't like his insinuation that Edward is not there for me so I start talking immediately with a slightly angry tone. "Edward has always been there for me. When I told him some of the things that happened to me, it destroyed him. I lost our baby, Dr. Paul. Riley took sadistic pleasure it making sure that mine and Edward's child would die. Edward had not even known I was pregnant. It devastated him. Everything I told him chipped away at him and he became so angry…I am not going to put him through this anymore. I wanted to talk everything out with a professional. Edward and I will eventually share all of this, but he can't handle it all now. I need to handle it first and then Edward and I can deal with the rest together."

Dr. Paul smiles at me and leans back in his chair while simultaneously hiking his legs up on his desk. He looks about ten years old when he does that. "So, you are protecting Edward by not confiding in him right now?"

He says it as though Edward is incapable of being there for me as a man and I don't like his insinuation. "Edward is the love of my life. We will get through this. I will protect him even if I have to protect him from himself. If you are going to continue to insult him with these inappropriate little jabs then this therapy is over." I say with finality and I get up and make it to the door, before he stops me. He puts an arm around my waist to stop me and puts his other hand against the door to keep me from opening it.

The stance terrifies me and my brain snaps back to a time when I had tried to run from Riley and he had caught me in the same stance.

"NO!" I scream and push him back with my arms. He doesn't let go of me, but I know he isn't really trying to do anything. He is just trying to keep me from leaving and it terrifies me.

"Bella, calm down. Please. I apologize for what I said about Edward. Please, sit back down. I really want to help you."

Looking at him, he looks sincere but I know now that he can't help me. I see a look in his eyes that is somewhat familiar to me. He is stepping over a line here. He is interested in me for some reason. He is trying to drive a wedge between Edward and me. I don't even care if I am wrong. I am not willing to take any more chances on any guy who is not Edward. It is not worth the risk. I am not going to put myself in that position again. I am going to be clear.

"You can start by taking your hands off of me, Dr. Lahote." I say formally. He looks at me with wide eyes, but does not remove his hands from around my waist. Instead he pushes me slightly so my back is against the door.

"I can help you, Bella. I can make you feel better. You don't need Edward. He is dragging you down. You may not want to hear it, but you need to cut him loose if you are going to have any chance of recovery."

I was right. Disgust swells inside of me and I push at him again, but he doesn't move.

"LET GO OF ME!" I scream. "EDWARD!" I scream as loud as I can. I know he is out in the hallway. He always waits for me after my sessions.

"BELLA!" I hear his voice through the door and I feel him try the door handle. The door is locked. I hear Edward's panicked voice. "BELLA! What's wrong? Are you all right?"

Paul is looking at me with a menacing look. "Be quiet." He tells me softly placing his hand over my mouth. Another flashback rips through me. Riley holding me close with his hand over my mouth to block my screams…his hands traveling my body. I feel tears slide down my cheeks. I cannot allow that to happen again, so I fight back. Edward is still banging on the door.

I bite down on Paul's hand as hard as I can. He yelps in surprise and backs away slightly enough for me to unlock the door and turn the handle. Edward pushes it open and pulls me into his arms immediately. He looks me over carefully and notices the tears in my eyes.

"Bella, you are shaking…what the hell happened?" He asks in concern and fear.

I point a shaky finger at Paul. "He…he wouldn't let go of me…" I trail off as sobs take over my body. I feel Edward go rigid and his voice becomes dangerous.

"You have no idea how much trouble you just brought on yourself." He says in a murderous voice. "Emmett! Jacob! Jasper! We have a little problem here."

Paul backs away as the other three guys enter the room. Alice and Rose linger in the doorway wondering what is going on. I finally find my voice. "Alice, go get your dad and security…quickly!" Alice nods and takes off. Rose enters the room also and takes in my state and Edward's angry form. She looks as dangerous as the guys.

Emmett's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "What is the problem here?" He asks Edward.

Edward answers in the same, low dangerous voice. "It appears the good doctor put his hands on Bella…without her consent."

I hear Rose's snarl of anger. I see Jake's eyes light with a deadly fire. Emmett's eyes are as black as night as he glares menacingly at my former doctor. Jasper responds to what Edward said in a low voice. "Well it seems we have a big problem then, don't we gentleman."

Emmett cracks his knuckles and grins wickedly. "The difference is gentlemen; we can actually beat the hell out of this monster."

I want to stop them, but I can't talk. My words are trapped in my throat. Edward clutches me tightly in his arms and picks me up to hold me close. Apparently he is not going to fight, he is going to take care of me instead.

I look over to the others and I see Paul's look of terror as the others converge on him slowly with murderous eyes.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think of this? Were you glad Bella figured out he was a creep before he tried to warp her mind? What do you think of this chapter? Is Paul going to pay for Riley's mistakes as well and serve as an outlet for the guys anger? I would love to hear from you! Please review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I realize that last chapter said it was Edward's POV and it was actually Bella's. I apologize for that. I know I said I would update once a week on Sunday, but I had some free time so I sat down and got some writing done. I hope you like this chapter. It answers some important questions about Dr. Paul. I think most of you will be surprised…although one reviewer hit it right on the head. Well done. **** Without further ado, here is the next chapter! Thanks again and please read and review! I couldn't leave you all hanging that long. I hope you like this chapter. ENJOY!**

**Edward's POV**

Bella's therapy sessions seem to make her feel better and I am happy about that. However, I still do not trust this Paul guy. Jasper is doing some digging to see what he can find out about him. I guess I could just be paranoid about Bella being in a room with a guy neither one of us really knows. I have a difficult time being without Bella at any time anymore. I wait outside of the door while she has her therapy sessions. After the first session, Bella opened up to me and told me that she wanted to heal so we could heal. She wanted me to be happy. I could not get my pretty girl to understand that I would be happy when she was happy…well that and when Riley was six feet under or at the bottom of the Hudson…but I digress.

Jasper, Emmet, Jacob, Rose, and Alice are keeping me company today. We are all going down to the cafeteria together after Bella's session. I want Bella to be surrounded by those who love her as much as possible.

I hear a loud thud and I look up at the door and feel apprehension creep up my spine. I walk to the door…no one else is even paying attention to me. They are listening to Jacob and Rose fight over the best way to fix some kind of car issue.

"LET GO OF ME!" "EDWARD!" The sound is muffled, but it is my Bella. My Bella screaming for me.

"BELLA!" I scream back. I try the door handle and it is locked. Panic wells inside of me and I feel my heart jump in my throat. "BELLA! What's wrong? Are you all right?"

I begin banging on the door and I hear Jasper approach me. The door opens and I pull Bella into my arms immediately, encircling her there and keeping her safe. I look into her eyes and there are tears cascading down her pale cheeks. She is shaking and trembling and I want to kill whoever did this to her.

"Bella, you are shaking…what the hell happened?" I have to know what set this off. Did she have another flashback?

She points a shaky finger at Paul. "He…he wouldn't let go of me…" She says brokenly before collapsing in sobs in my arms. My entire being fills with hatred and venom. I want to murder this so called doctor.

"You have no idea how much trouble you just brought on yourself." I tell him seriously as he gazes at me with wide eyes filled with shock. "Emmett! Jacob! Jasper! We have a little problem here."

Paul backs away as the other three guys enter the room. Alice and Rose linger in the doorway wondering what is going on. Bella whispers something to Alice I don't catch and Alice takes off down the hall. Rose enters the room and I know she will murder this doctor before any of the guys have a chance to even move. She is as protective of Bella as I am.

Emmett's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "What is the problem here?" He asks in concern.

I answer him slowly in a cold voice. "It appears the good doctor put his hands on Bella…without her consent."

I can feel the anger crackling through the room like wildfire. Jasper's low and dangerous voice fills the lethal, quiet room. "Well it seems we have a big problem then, don't we gentleman."

Emmett cracks his knuckles and grins wickedly. "The difference is gentlemen; we can actually beat the hell out of this monster."

I pick Bella up in my arms and hold her close to me. I walk her over to sit with her on my lap in a chair by the door. She is my first priority. Dr. Paul can go to hell for all I care. Besides, there are more than enough angry people in this room…he doesn't stand a chance.

I look over to the others and I see Paul's look of terror as the others converge on him slowly with murderous eyes.

"Wait…you don't understand." He pleads. I want to laugh at him, but Bella shakes in my arms again so I focus my attention on her. I rub soothing circles on her back and whisper reassuringly to her until she stops shaking.

"Why should we listen to what you have to say?" Jacob snarls.

Paul holds out his hands. "It is a new therapy technique I have been trying!"

We all look at him in shock and disbelief.

Rose snorts. "You hold a person against their will as therapy? Are you sure you are a real doctor there?" Rose says menacingly.

Carlisle races into the room with Alice right behind him. He looks relieved and then he turns to Paul with an angry expression on his face.

"Paul, I warned you not to try that therapy with Bella. She is too fragile and delicate right now, what the hell were you thinking?"

I don't think I have ever heard my father swear in my life. He was really angry.

"Therapy?" Emmett questions…his tone still thick with disbelief.

My dad is quick to explain. "Paul has been speaking at conferences about a new type of therapy that is still in the starting phases. It is when the therapists provoke their clients in a way that reminds them of the trauma they have suffered to see how they react to it."

Bella stands up, but still holds tightly to my hand. "He was trying to provoke me?" She asks in shock.

Paul nods. "Bella, you are the perfect candidate for this therapy. Your experience was so traumatic that I don't think you will be able to truly deal with it until you come to terms with it. So, yes, I provoked you. I grabbed you…I put my hand over your mouth…I held you around the waist and I told you to be quiet…those are all things that you told me Riley had done to you."

Bella looks angry now. "Then why did you say all those things about Edward. You were insinuating that he wasn't strong enough to be there for me…you were saying that I shouldn't trust in Edward!" She yells at him.

This causes my body to boil with rage, but Paul continues before I can leap forward and knock his lights out.

"Yes, I did because you were protecting him…he is not weak, Bella. You don't need to protect him all the time. I did it to show you that you need him, that you are stronger with him by your side. Didn't you feel stronger standing up for him? Did you feel even stronger when he came to your aid? You love him. You trust him. You need to open up to him and tell him…Everything. Bella, you need to tell him everything. You are strong enough to do it now."

I feel the anger evaporating from my body. I am still angry about this type of therapy, but at the same time I am glad that Bella fought for us even when she didn't really have to do it.

Bella looks at him in bewilderment. "What if I had reacted differently? What if I had shut down or tried to hurt myself again?" She threw out.

Paul stepped forward, but Emmett blocked his path to Bella. Paul sighed. "You are not the weak little person you keep trying to make yourself be. The flashback surprised you and you reacted. You won't be that surprised again. You weren't when one came on this time. You felt it coming on and you worked your way through it. You even fought me off to get to Edward. You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for."

He is right. Even if his idea wasn't really all that practical or even ethical, he had made Bella see something that I had been trying to make her see ever since she came back to me.

Paul looks at Bella with a sincere expression on his face. "I am sorry that I frightened you. You needed to see what you are capable of, Bella. Open up to Edward…tell him everything. Then and only then will you be truly free."

She nods at him and the room is silent. Paul sits back down at his desk. "Now, if you will excuse me. I have another client coming in…I think Bella is ready to move on without our sessions. Good luck to you, Bella. I know you are going to come out of this just fine."

She smiles slightly at him. "I guess I should say thank you. I am grateful, even if I don't really agree with your methods."

He waves her off with his arm. "It's okay. No one agrees with my methods, but the results are inarguably in my favor."

We are all about to leave the room when Emmett surprises us all and punches Paul square in the jaw. Paul is thrown back out of his chair and falls to the floor.

"Emmett!" My dad admonishes him.

Emmett simply shrugs his shoulders. "It may have been therapy, but he still shouldn't have touched Belly Bear without her consent!" He says stubbornly. Bella smiles at him and he pulls her into his arms for a hug before wrapping his arms around her shoulder and walking out of the room with her.

I couldn't help but laugh as Paul got shakily to his feet. "Be glad it wasn't worse." I tell him and then "Thanks for helping her…" He nods and doesn't say anything. I leave the room and shut the door behind me.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think of this? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please review! I would appreciate it so much!**

**I know I have some reviewers who don't like this story. I know that some of you are frustrated, but I have it under hurt/comfort for a reason. There will eventually be a HEA, but you cannot expect Bella to just go back to normal immediately…there are also still many threats to deal with. I hope some of you still like it. I would love to hear your thoughts.**

**Thanks again! You are all amazing!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I hope you like this chapter. I wanted to apologize for not updating on Sunday. We had no internet access this weekend and it is really messing up things for me. I know this chapter is short, but since I gave you a small chapter in the middle of the week, I hope you will forgive me for it. The story is going to pick up soon after this chapter and you will see Bella change You will also find out what Edward plans to do about Riley in the next chapter. I am about halfway done with it and I will try to finish it soon so I can post it sometime this week to make up for the short chapter you are going to read. I hope you like it. Please read and review!**

**BELLA's POV**

Emmett walked me back to my room and Edward followed us inside. Jacob dropped a kiss on my forehead before leaving with Emmett. Rose shot me a look and I let her know that I was okay. I needed to tell Edward everything. Paul had been right about that.

"_Yes, I did because you were protecting him…he is not weak, Bella. You don't need to protect him all the time. I did it to show you that you need him, that you are stronger with him by your side. Didn't you feel stronger standing up for him? Did you feel even stronger when he came to your aid? You love him. You trust him. You need to open up to him and tell him…Everything. Bella, you need to tell him everything. You are strong enough to do it now."_

Am I strong enough? I am not sure. It seems to be too much for me. I am not sure if I can tell him everything. What will he think of me? I sigh and put my head in my hands. Edward sits down beside me on the bed. He reaches for my hand and takes it in his own. His voice tears me out of my thoughts.

"Please, Bella. I love you. There is nothing you can tell me that will change that."

I nod. I know he is telling me the truth. I take a deep breath before speaking.

"After locked myself in the bathroom, I had a flashback." He just holds my hand silently and waits for me to continue. I can feel his gaze on me, but I chicken out and look at our entwined hands instead of into his eyes. I don't want to lose my nerve. "It was in the bathroom where Riley…where he hurt me for the first time." I don't know why I can't say the word "rape" out loud, but I am struggling with it. Edward's sadness and anger is palpable, but he keeps it in check and says nothing so I can continue.

"I just lost it. It hurt so much to know that he tainted all the happy times we have shared in our apartment…but suddenly all I could see was the blood, all I could hear were my cries for Tanya to help me that fell on deaf ears, and all I could feel was pain. I finally remembered what I had been blocking out and why it was so horrific for me."

I can't tell him all the specifics. It is not important to rehash them all. I know one thing though and it is something I need to tell Edward.

"Edward, I can't go into that apartment again."

He nods immediately. "I know. We will find a new place together." He assures me and I am so relieved.

His quiet voice breaks the silence. "Tanya was there before Riley…" He can't finish, but I don't make him.

"Yes. As Riley was dragging me to our bedroom, I pleaded with her to help me. She ignored me and walked out the door."

I feel embarrassed to admit that to him, but he just crushes me to his chest gently, yet firmly.

"God, Bella, I am so sorry. I am so so sorry." Sobs wrack his body and I cry to as we hold onto each other.

I want to know why he is sorry. "You didn't do anything wrong." I tell him.

He looks at me in disbelief and then I see something different in his eyes. His need for vengeance is not at the forefront any longer. His chief concern is me…us.

"Bella, please forgive me for wanting to kill Riley. I still want him dead for what he has done, but I understand that that is not what you need right now. I want to be there for you. I want you to tell me everything. I need you to confide in me. I love you with all that I am."

I manage to look at him through my tears. "I love you, too." I tell him. He leans in and presses his lips lightly against mine to give me a gentle kiss. I allow it and I am pleasantly surprised that the kiss did not bring back any flashbacks. Maybe I will be able to heal from this…one day at a time. I know one thing is for sure. I love Edward Cullen. As long as we are together, we can accomplish anything. I know that.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think of this? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please review! I would appreciate it so much! Bella's healing journey is finally making some headway. Were you ready for Edward and Bella to have a moment together? I have more moments planned for them in later chapters. This story is ¾ of the way completed. There will be some big chapters coming up. **** I hope you all still like the book and that I haven't lost many people.**

**Thanks again! You are all amazing!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I hope you like this chapter. I did backtrack a little so you could know what Edward is thinking. I won't do that again next chapter, but I thought it was important to know what was in Edward's head right now. I will try and update again before next Thursday. I may have another update on Sunday, but I know some of you are anxious so I wanted to post this chapter. I hope you like it! Enjoy your weekend all! Please read and review!**

**EDWARD'S POV**

I walked behind Emmett and Bella back to her room. We all hovered protectively around her as if our protection would shield her. Rose looked like she wanted to rip Paul a new one, but she refrained for Bella's sake. She made eye contact with Bella who nodded at her. Jake dropped a kiss on Bella's forehead. Emmett ruffled her hair and then they were gone. We were alone. I was thrilled and terrified. I knew that she was going to open up to me and I had to make sure that I could control myself and my feelings. Bella did not need my emotions or my temper to rule me right now. She needed me. I was going to be who she needed me to be.

She seems to be lost in thought, warring with herself to see if she can trust me and it breaks my heart.

"Please, Bella. I love you. There is nothing you can tell me that will change that."

She nods and takes a deep breath before speaking.

"After locked myself in the bathroom, I had a flashback." I just hold her hand and take in the beauty of my Bella. She is incredible and so very strong. "It was in the bathroom where Riley…where he hurt me for the first time."

I knew it. Somewhere inside of myself I had known it. I had known that something horrific had happened to her in that apartment. We would never live there again. I would burn the building down before I made Bella go back to that horror. Now I know what her flashback had been and I was even more upset that I hadn't been with her to help her through it. Never again. I will always be there for her forever from now on.

"I just lost it. It hurt so much to know that he tainted all the happy times we have shared in our apartment…but suddenly all I could see was the blood, all I could hear were my cries for Tanya to help me that fell on deaf ears, and all I could feel was pain. I finally remembered what I had been blocking out and why it was so horrific for me."

Tears are coursing down her cheeks and she looks me directly in the eyes with a determined expression on her beautiful face.

"Edward, I can't go into that apartment again."

I am in complete agreement with her. I don't even want to go back there and pack my stuff. I never want to go back in that place again. Bella and I can make happy memories somewhere else. "I know. We will find a new place together." I assure her and she smiles slightly at me ad it takes my breath away.

I am furious that Tanya had been there before this had happened to her. "Tanya was there before Riley…" I start to say, but I can't choke the words out.

"Yes. As Riley was dragging me to our bedroom, I pleaded with her to help me. She ignored me and walked out the door."

I feel so many things all at once. I feel rage and hatred for Tanya, but I also feel devastation and overwhelming agony for Bella. I can picture her pleading with Tanya for help and I can picture that slut looking the other way without helping her at all. I pull her into my arms quickly and wrap my arms around her in a tight hug. If I can hug her tightly enough then maybe I can put this horror behind us. She wraps her arms around me and I begin to sob.

"God, Bella, I am so sorry. I am so so sorry." I feel her sobs as they radiate throughout her body and her warm tears as they soak into my shirt, but I don't care at all. I am holding my Bella and that is all that matters.

"You didn't do anything wrong." She whispers against me.

I look at her in disbelief. How can she say that? I have been so consumed with revenge that I have put us on the back burner so I could try and torture another person. Riley may be going to hell, but I didn't need to send him there. He would be taken care of…somehow I was sure of that.

"Bella, please forgive me for wanting to kill Riley. I still want him dead for what he has done, but I understand that that is not what you need right now. I want to be there for you. I want you to tell me everything. I need you to confide in me. I love you with all that I am." I needed to tell her that…over and over and over again. I will never stop telling her each and every day how very much she means to me.

"I love you, too." She says through her years and then I just know I have to kiss her. I lean into her and press my lips lightly against hers and give her a single, gentle kiss on her perfect full lips. When I lean back, I take in her beautiful smile. It fills me with hope for our future. Every time Bella and I talk she starts to feel better. I hope she continues to open up to me. I want to know everything and I know we will be able to heal together.

I left Bella with Rose to talk. I knew that Bella would drift off soon, so I didn't mind leaving her with Rose. Rose wouldn't let Bella out of her sight, of that I was certain. I made my way to the waiting room to get a cup of coffee and I see Charlie with his head in his hands looking incredibly sad.

I sit down beside him. "Charlie, are you all right?" I ask him and he nods before looking away.

"They aren't sure what to do about Renee. She isn't responding to any treatments. I know what she needs, but Phil won't listen to me."

I finish for him. "She needs Bella."

He nods. "I know it sounds crazy, but Bella has always taken care of her. Now when Bella needs Renee, she is incapable of helping her."

I understand what he is saying, but I am not upset with Renee. Her child had been missing. Something had snapped inside of her after Bella had been forced to hang up the phone when she had called us. I had nearly snapped too.

"Bella asked about her mom. I told her that you would want to talk to her."

Charlie looks at me in desperation. "I know. I will. I just don't want to cause my baby any more stress."

I smile slightly. "Bella is much stronger than we give her credit for, Charlie."

Charlie looks at me in desperation. "She tried to kill herself, Edward! She is not as strong as we think she is! She needs us to be strong for her and once again her mother is MIA."

I understand his anger and frustration. "I know, Charlie. But Bella doesn't need her mom. She needs you. She needs me. If she needs a mother figure, my mother would be happy to step in. They have been like mother and daughter for a long time. I am sure that she would be more than happy to spend more time with Bella. We will get her back, Charlie."

Charlie wraps me in a big hug and I hold him as he cries. Charlie is a proud man, but every man has a breaking point. He is stronger than the rest of us. I hit my breaking point weeks ago.

When he finally stops crying he pulls away and wipes his eyes furiously.

"This never happened." He says gruffly.

"What never happened?" I ask innocently.

"Thanks son." He says kindly.

"Of course." I tell him and we both sit in the waiting room together thinking about the future.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Did you like the interaction with Charlie and Edward. Some Riley info will be in the next chapter. Are you ready to find out what his future holds? Anyone interested in a chapter from Riley's POV? Let me know! Please review!**

**Thanks again! You are all amazing!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I am sorry I wasn't able to update during the week. I think a weekly update on Sunday is all I am capable of doing right now. I am super busy with real life. I am sorry and I hope you can forgive me. **** This chapter is split up a little bit. You are going to hear a little bit from Riley in this chapter. Many of you wanted to see inside his troubled little soul, so I thought I would humor you. Have I mentioned that you are all wonderful? You are! Your reviews make me so happy! Thank you so much! Now, another chapter…**

**RILEY'S POV**

Life is what you make it. That is what my father always told me. He was right. He was so right. If he was still alive, I would finally admit that to him. He would finally have to listen to me. My mother had always listened to me…until…well, that is water under the bridge.

Since freshmen year of high school I have been in love with Isabella Marie Swan. She is my perfect girl and always has been…to me. With my help, we can fix any imperfection she may have. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. No one would ever love Bella the way that I love her. In high school, Cullen was always in my way. Bella loved him…well she thought she did. She was mistaken. She didn't really love him. She couldn't. We belong together.

I stare at the walls of the dilapidated hotel room and reflect back on my life the past two months. I had finally taken Bella as my own. We had our first romantic encounter in her apartment that she shared with that loser Cullen. Now, I bet she can't think about anything else except our first time in that apartment. I hope she realizes that she can never move forward with Edward…she can never move forward with anyone but me.

I sigh and flop back down on my small bed. I pick up the framed photo I have of the two of us on the small table. She is lying beside me on our bed. Her eyes are wide as if I surprised her when I took the picture. She doesn't smile. She doesn't need to smile. She is beautiful even after punishments. I trace her face carefully with my finger and shiver.

I had been so close to getting her back that day at the hospital. Now, I didn't know how I was supposed to get to Bella. Tanya was behind bars and Victoria had essentially banished. I had no one else to manipulate. No one to do my dirty work for me. Tanya was a complete moron. She believed that if she helped me that Cullen would forget about Bella and take Tanya to bed. She is so stupid. Cullen loved Bella even though she wasn't his to love. She was mine. She would always be mine.

Bella knew we belonged together as well and she didn't want t be separated from me either. I knew that. Cullen was making her press charges and he was going to pay for it. I was going to take Bella away with me for good.

An idea worked its way into my mind and I recognized the brilliance of it immediately. Of course. Of course it would work. Bella Swan only had one weakness and I would expose it and threaten until she came to me herself. The plan was so perfect I didn't know why I had not thought about it before. I grin widely before reaching over to grab my phone to dial the only number I would ever memorize…the only number that mattered.

A knock at the door stops me. I stand up and walk to the door hesitantly and then whip it open to come face to face with a very angry Edward Cullen…

A few hours earlier…

**BELLA'S POV**

I never thought that I would start to feel better. Edward and I had been talking for a few days and I felt freer. He knew almost everything that had happened to me. He knew about the punishments I had suffered. He knew about the violence against me, both physically and mentally. He knew about all the sexual abuse. He knew everything Riley had done to me. The only thing he didn't know was so horrific I was afraid to tell him, but I knew now was the time.

Edward was sitting beside my bed holding my hand tightly in his own. I was leaving the hospital tomorrow. Edward and I were going to stay with Emmett and Rose until we found a new place. Alice and Jasper had gone to our old apartment and packed all of our things up to take them over to Rose and Emmett's place. I was eternally grateful to them. I could never go back in that apartment again. Never.

"Edward…" I started and then lost my nerve.

He smiled and looked up into my eyes. His smile fell when he saw the tears in my eyes.

"What is it, love?" He asked in a soft voice.

I took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in my throat. "There is only one more thing you don't know about…"

I stopped and tried to catch my breath. I didn't want this one thing to wreck everything…I didn't want this one thing to wreck all our progress. I couldn't bear that.

"Please, Bella. You have to tell me. I will be calm. I swear it."

I didn't think he could swear it before he knew what I was going to tell him. I take another deep breath before I make myself continue. No turning back now. "When Riley would hurt me…he…he would humiliate me. H…he would bruise my skin by pinching me. He wo…would use a knife to cut me…not deeply…but small cuts…then he would lick the blood."

I peered up at Edward to see his livid expression, but he said nothing. I looked back down and continued.

"Sometimes, when he would punish me…he would tape it with his video camera and take pictures. Then he…he would make me watch it over and over and over again…so I could learn to behave."

Edward closed his eyes and I saw that his face was wet with tears.

I choke back my own and finish. "He promised me that if I ever got away that he would post them on the internet. Edward, I can't stand for another person to see them…I can't stand for…"

My voice trailed off and I looked at him again. He opened his eyes to look at me as the tears ran unchecked down both of our cheeks.

"Bella, I swear to you. We will do everything in our power to ensure that no one else sees those tapes again…no one."

I look at him seriously. "Promise me, Edward. Promise me that you won't ever watch them."

He looks down for a moment, hesitates, and then sighs. "I promise." He tells me honestly. I feel so much relief course through me. I don't want Edward or anyone else to see me like that.

He climbs into my bed and holds me tightly against his chest. Eventually I fall into an exhausted sleep feeling as though things may actually start to get better after all…

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think Edward is going to do to Riley? What will happen? I would love to know what you all think of this chapter. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please review! **

**I finally finished my other Twilight story, "Collision." I also posted the first chapter of my newest Edward and Bella story called, "The Chase." Read the summary and if it sounds like something you would be interested in please go check it out and review so I know what you think. Please and thank you **

**New Story Title: "The Chase"**

**Summary:** For two years, he had watched her from afar. He had waited for the perfect opportunity to make her his forever. Bella Swan had always wanted adventure. When she meets the mysterious Edward Cullen, is she getting more than she bargained for? Once Bella learns a dark secret about Edward, she flees, but he chases her because he can never let her go.

**Thanks again! You are all amazing! See you next Sunday night!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I know I have been silent for a little while and I am sorry. I had a few bad reviews about this story that upset me…so I needed a little break. I am back now and I am going to continue my story. I hope that most of you like my story and like where it is headed. Please review and let me know what you think, even if it is bad I guess I need to know that too. So, without further ado, here is the next chapter. ENJOY!**

**EDWARD'S POV**

I had never felt so much anger and hatred for another person in my entire life. That bastard humiliated her and then taped it and forced her to watch it for his own sick amusement. After Bella fell into a deep sleep in my arms, I called Emmett and Rose. Rose came to stay with Bella. I told her that Emmett and I needed to go out for a little while. Rose did not question this and I was eternally grateful.

As soon as we were in the car, Emmett broke the silence.

"What is going on, Edward?" Emmett asks.

I grip the steering wheel more tightly in my hands and press my foot on the accelerator. I start speaking, and I don't even care that I am not making sense. "I can't fall apart there with her….I can't upset the progress we are making, but I want to kill him Em. I want to kill him!" I scream as I push the gas pedal to the floor.

Emmett looks at me in shock, but says nothing.

I continue my rant. "That bastard taped her being tortured by him! He taped it and threatened to leak it to the internet if she ever left him!"

Emmett looked at me in shock and rage transformed his features. "I know where he lives. I got the information from a buddy of mine at the police station."

I nod. "Where?" I speak the word desperately.

Emmett rattles off the address and then we are off. I cannot think about anything else right now except seeing Riley Biers and ripping his head off.

Riley's apartment building in small and dingy. I wonder whose apartment it actually is. I bang on the door until Riley opens it with the phone in his hand. He actually has the nerve to smile at me.

"You will have to excuse me for a moment, Cullen." Riley moves to slam the door in my face, but Emmett appears from around the corner and pushes the door open as we push our way into his house.

I grab Riley by the neck and push him against the wall. "Where are they? Where are the tapes?" I scream at him.

Riley looks at me in shock. "She told you?" He asks in bewilderment.

It takes all the strength in my body not to kill him right here and right now, but I promised Bella that I wouldn't kill him, so I won't.

"Of course she told me. I know EVERYTHING you sick son of a –" I stop midsentence when Emmett appears by my side.

Emmett speaks in a deadly calm voice. "I am only going to ask you this once. Tell us where the tapes are or I am going to break your fingers one by one." He says menacingly.

Riley looks terrified of Emmett looming in front of him. "I'll call the police." He tries weakly.

I laugh at him. "Go ahead, then we can tell them about the tapes and then you will really be screwed." I say with malice. "Bella doesn't want to turn those tapes in. She doesn't want anyone else to see those tapes, so you have a choice. You can turn those tapes over to us, or you can enjoy a pain filled night with over a dozen broken bones until you give us the tapes. The choice is yours."

Riley seems to contemplate this. "These tapes were made for instructional purposes. Bella needs to watch them again when I get her back to ensure she doesn't repeat past mistakes." He says it so matter of factly that I don't think…I just react. I punch him hard in the face and then I kick him as hard as I can in the groin. Emmett releases him and he falls to the ground sobbing in agony.

I pull him up to face me by the hair. "Where are the tapes?" I scream at him.

Riley cowers back from my glare. "They are in the file cabinet in my bedroom. I nod to Emmett who takes ahold of Riley and I walk into his bedroom. I am not prepared for the sight in front of me. There are pictures of Bella everywhere. There are pictures before she was taken in high school and in college. There are pictures that have obviously been edited and Riley has taken my out and added himself into the pictures. Where did he even get some of these? I wonder. Then I see a picture on his bedside table that makes my heart boil. It is a picture of Bella looking pale, gaunt, and terrified while Riley basically lies on top of her, while she is nearly naked. He must have held an arm out to snap the picture or something. I pick up the picture frame and tuck it into the canvas bag I brought into the house with me. I walk over to the file cabinet and pull open the drawer. I am shocked by the sheer number of tapes that I see. They are labeled. "Day One with Bella. Day two with Bella." There is a tape for every day that he tortured her. He did this to her every day. Bella had not said it was every day, but I hadn't ask either. My heart breaks again as I shove all the tapes into my bag. I check the other file cabinet drawers, but find no other tapes. I want to rip all the pictures off the walls, but know that I need to get going. I need to get back to Bella. I need to get out of here before I end Riley Biers.

I walk back into the living room. I motion for Emmett that it is time to go. Emmett looks Riley over one more time. "You will burn in hell for what you did to my little sister." He says in a deep, threatening voice.

Emmett pushes him back and walks to the door. I get very close to Riley. "You will pay for what you did to her. I will make sure of that."

Riley looks at me and a sick smile creeps onto his face. "We shall see about that, Cullen." He whispers.

I push him against the wall and it knocks the wind out of him. He sinks to his knees and tries to catch a deep breath.

I walk out of the apartment and close the door behind me.

BELLA'S POV

I wake up to find Rose sitting beside me in a chair. She is sound asleep. I feel immensely guilty. No one is sleeping anymore and it is all because of me. I try to go back to sleep for a while, but I can't. The vibrating of my cell phone makes me sit up in bed. It is an unknown number, but I answer it anyway quietly.

"Hello." I whisper, careful not to wake Rose.

"Hello, my love. It's been too long." The voice says softly.

"Riley." I whisper as tears slip down my cheeks silently.

"Who else my dear? Now, what do you say we stop this nonsense and you come back to me?" He says carefully.

I whisper, but my voice is full of anger. "Never."

He sighs. "I bet you will change your mind about that, love. Do you really want Cullen's death on your conscious?"

My heart drops and I gasp. He chuckles on the other end of the line. "He came here and threatened me. He took most of the tapes…I, of course, kept the one that was the most special to us both, do you remember that one, love?"

I felt my soul shatter into a thousand pieces. Edward had gone there to try and protect me and now his life was in danger, again, because of me. "What do you want?" I whisper.

His response is immediate. "What I have always wanted, you."

I can't help my response. "You can't have me."

He laughs. "Then I guess Cullen is history."

He's bluffing I tell myself over and over again. He seems to interpret my thoughts because he cuts in again.

"He just left the apartment. I am following him in my car. He appears to be headed to Emmett's apartment…probably to destroy the tapes for you." I hear the click of his gun and I know he is deadly serious now.

"Please, don't." I whisper.

"I will leave Cullen alone, if you leave the hospital right now. Meet me in the parking garage in ten minutes. We will be reunited soon, my love."

I take a deep breath. "You have my word." I whisper.

"See you soon." He says softly before hanging up.

I run over to Rose and shake her awake. "Rose, I need your help."

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What will happen between Bella and Riley? What will Rose do? I would love to hear your thoughts.**

**Please review!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I know I am late again, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and for the positive words of encouragement I have received about this story. You are all amazing! I will try to post again on Sunday to redeem myself. I hope you like this chapter. There is a lot of action!**

**EDWARD'S POV**

All I can think about is destroying those tapes. I don't want Bella to ever see those tapes again. My ringing phone cuts into my thoughts and I answer it on the first ring.

"Rose, what's wrong?" I ask breathlessly. I know something is wrong or Rose would not have called me.

"Edward, don't panic." She begins and I make a U turn to head directly back to the hospital.

"What the hell is going on?" I demand.

Rose sighs. "Riley called. He threatened Bella. He said he was following you and he was going to kill you. He told her she could meet him in the hospital parking garage in ten minutes or he would kill you. She chose to meet him."

My heart falls to the floor of the car and my body starts shaking. "Rose, please tell me that she isn't really in that parking garage."

"She is." Rose says calmly. "But it is a trap. We called the police. It is all set. If Riley comes near her then he violates the restraining order. He will have to stay in jail until his new trial."

I don't feel relief. I feel dread. Riley will expect a trap. He will have a backup plan. "Rose, what if it's a trap?" I demand.

Rose scoffs. "How could it be a trap? The police are here, Edward. They are with Bella. She went down with an officer just two minutes ago. We called the police. They showed up and now she is down there. The trap is set."

I still don't feel relief. Riley had one cop working for him. Is it really much of a stretch that he didn't have another friend in the police department?

I am driving erratically, but Emmett doesn't say anything. He is worried as well. He doesn't trust anyone with Bella either. I know Rose and Bella were trying to do the right thing so he would get caught. I just couldn't trust anyone with her…not anymore.

I pull into the parking garage and see a few policemen milling around, but no sign of Bella.

"Where is she?" I ask the first officer I see.

He looks at me in confusion before understanding dawns in his eyes. "Are you Bella's fiancé?" He asks.

I nod at him. "Where is she?"

The officer looks at me and hesitates. "We aren't sure. She was supposed to be down here a few minutes ago…she is not here yet."

I want to punch the idiot in the face, but I don't waste time. I run into the hospital. I know the hospital like the back of my hand. I know that the service entrance has its own garage because my father gets to use it occasionally during busy times.

I hear a loud slap and then I hear Bella's low voice…

**Bella's POV**

Something feels off. I am with this cop and we are supposed to be going to the parking garage, but this place feels so isolated. I look at his badge.

"So, officer Laurent, where are we going?"

He looks at me curiously. "The parking garage, Miss. The service parking garage."

I feel panic well inside of me. "I didn't say the service entrance parking."

Laurent looks at me, the picture of innocence, but I know better. Too many people have lied to me recently and I know a lie when I see it now.

I pull away from him, but he grabs me and holds me firmly around the waist. I try to squirm free but I can't.

"HEY!" A voice yells and I freeze in my spot. I know that voice. I would know that voice anywhere. It haunts me in my nightmares.

Riley.

Riley comes very close to us and grabs my arm roughly pulling me out of Laurent's arms.

"We had a deal, Laurent. I don't remember you being allowed to put your hands all over my girl!" He says before pulling me close to him. Tears clog my vision and I feel dizzy.

Laurent holds up his hands in apology. "Just give me my money. I have to get out of here before people realize I brought Bella to you."

Riley grins at him and I know that grin. Laurent is a dead man. Riley lifts his gun and shoots Laurent in the head without hesitation. Laurent falls to the floor instantly, the blood pooling beneath his body…dead.

Riley turns me away from the body and throws his arms around me and pulls me into a tight hug. "I have missed you, Isabella." He whispers and I cringe into his shirt.

He notices my cringe and pulls away with a look of anger. "You can't even enjoy our reunion can you?" He yells.

I say nothing. I know words have never helped me before. My body starts to shut down. I feel panic seep into my veins and I know the only way I will be able to deal with this is if I shut it all out and shut myself down.

I try to start the process, but he slaps me hard across the face. I fall backwards, near Laurent's body, slipping in his blood as I fall to the ground.

"Riley, please…please…" I beg. I swore I would never beg him again. I have to stall. Someone will realize I am down her…Edward. Edward will come for me. He will figure it out. I know it is a vain hope, but I hold onto it with all that I am.

Riley laughs. "When are you going to understand that begging is not the way we do things? I told you that you would need those tapes to remember those lessons. Fortunately, I kept the most important one."

My whole body shakes in fear. I remember that tape…I remember what happened to me. Riley looks around the parking garage as though puzzled.

"Maybe we should start that punishment, right here. What do you say, darling?" He says in a menacing voice as he steps closer to me. I cringe away.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"

I feel instant relief when I hear his voice. I feel my soul return to my body as I look past Riley and into the face of the only man I will ever love. Edward. He came. He is here.

Riley turns around with an evil smirk on his face and raises the gun at Edward. Edward, who is standing there without a weapon…my heart sinks in my chest as I realize what is about to happen. I have to stop it. I stand up and race around to get in front of Edward as the sound of the gun rings in my ears…

**CLIFFHANGER! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will try to update again on Sunday! What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Review and let me know!**** Please review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I know many of you are furious with me. I am sorry I did not post early, but it has been another busy week. I know this chapter is not very long, but I could not leave you hanging any longer wondering if Bella or Edward got shot. Please read and then review. I would love to hear your thoughts and I would love to know what you think of this chapter. Again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews! You are all so wonderful and incredible and I appreciate each and every one of them so very much! I hope you like this chapter, Thanks in advance…**

**EDWARD'S POV**

After I hear the slap, I hear Bella's low voice. "Riley, please…please…" She begs him. I peer around the corner and see my Bella on the floor in a pool of blood. I sigh in relief when I see that the blood is not hers.

Riley laughs. "When are you going to understand that begging is not the way we do things? I told you that you would need those tapes to remember those lessons. Fortunately, I kept the most important one."

I watch Bella's body start to shake in fear. My entire body fills with rage. He still had a tape and something was on it that would make Bella shut down and cower in fear. What else had he done to my Bella? The maniac looks around the parking garage as I try to think of a plan. I have to get her safely away from Riley.

"Maybe we should start that punishment, right here. What do you say, darling?" He says in a menacing voice as he steps closer to me. She cringes away and I don't think… I just react.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"

I see Bella look at me with wide eyes and I see her shoulders sag in relief at first and then I see her tension return. Riley turns around and smirks at me before raising his gun at me. Before I can process what is going on, Bella has thrown herself on me to shield me from a bullet. The gun goes off and I scream.

Bella looks me over carefully and I look at her the same way, then at the same moment we turn to look at Riley. Riley's eyes are wide circles of shock. His entire body is shaking before the blood begins seeping from his chest. He falls to the ground and groans in pain.

I hold Bella against my chest as she cries and look around the parking garage. Rosalie is standing a few feet away with the gun in her hand. She is not shaking, she is not frightened. She walks closer to Riley. She kicks the gun out of Riley's hand and it slides across the ground and stops a safe distance away.

Riley looks at Rose and smiles. "Bella is mine. Nothing you can do to me will change that."

Rose looks at him with fury burning in her eyes before pointing the gun at Riley's head.

"You see now, you sick bastard, I am going to end you."

Bella and I watch as the smile drops from Riley's face. We watch Rose's eyes harden even more as she pulls the trigger firing a bullet into Riley's head. Riley stops moving…dying instantly. I hate myself for it, but I think his death was too easy.

Bella cries out, but quickly stands and runs over to Rosalie, throwing her arms around her friend.

Rosalie drops the gun and holds Bella close in her arms. She tries to calm Bella. "It's over now…it is really and truly over." Rose is barely shaking…she seems completely fine as she comforts Bella.

Bella nods into her shirt and then Rosalie leans down over the body and picks up an object that fell out of Riley's coat pocket. She holds up a tape for Bella to inspect. Bella takes the tape and then throws it on the ground before stomping on it furiously. She screams and cries as she demolishes the tape. I stand to go to her, but Rose beats me to it and pulls her close again.

"It's over now. He will never hurt you again…never again."

Bella collapses and I race to her and pick her up into my arms just as Emmett comes barreling towards us. He takes Rose in his arms and starts sobbing in relief.

"Thank God! The policeman stationed outside of the room said you followed Bella here. I thought…when I heard the gunshots…" He can't go on as he holds Rose tightly to him.

Rose doesn't say anything. She looks over her shoulder at the body behind her with disgust in her eyes. "The monster is dead. We are all safe now." She says confidently.

I admire her courage and her bravery, but I am left to wonder how this death will affect Rose later. Bella clings to me, her entire body shaking. I want to ask her what was on that tape, but there will be time for that later. I know that right now, Bella just needs my comfort and I am prepared to give it to her.

I pick Bella up in my arms and carry her as the four of us leave this garage behind. I shudder as we pass Riley's body. Death was too easy for him, but I know that Bella will have peace of mind with him gone.

Right?

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Was anyone shocked that Rose killed Riley? What do you think the fallout will entail? I would love to hear your thoughts! Please review and let me know what you think. Again, I am sorry it is short, but real life sneaks up on me. **

**Have a great week! I hope to talk to you all again before Sunday!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **I hope this chapter will satisfy you. I wanted you to hear from Rose. She is a strong character and I think this chapter demonstrates that fully. Please read and review to let me know what you think. You are all wonderful! Thank you so much for the positive review and insight. I love you all! **

**ROSALIE'S POV**

I know that I should be tortured by ghosts and regrets, but I'm not. What is wrong with me that I am not? Bella is safe now. She is safe and Edward didn't try to kill Riley. I took care of that for both of them. I did it.

Emmett holds me close as we walk back into the hospital. The cops swarm us and I barely register they are there. Emmett's protective arms surround me. He refuses to allow the cops to question me right now. They can ask me whatever they want. I will tell the truth. The monster is dead and we can all move forward with life.

Bella speaks. I hear her, but it sounds like she is so far away. She is standing right next to me and she is holding my hand. How long has she been holding my hand? "Rose saved my life. Riley pulled his gun to kill Edward and Rose saved him…she saved us."

I hear her break down in tears…I want to kill the bastard all over again. I feel no regret…except for the fact that he didn't suffer. All rapists should suffer…they should. Riley did not feel even an ounce of the pain he unleashed on Bella. He even killed Edward and Bella's baby. He did not suffer enough…not nearly enough, but at least he is no longer breathing…thank God for that.

The police chief starts talking and he is explaining the corruption in the police department. Apparently, Victoria was connected. Her friend, Laurent, had friends in very high places. Riley had multiple ins at the police department. The whole situation made me sick. If you couldn't trust the police then who in the hell could you trust?

My entire body starts shaking, but not in terror, in rage. I want every single person connected to Riley Biers dead. I want them to suffer as Bella has suffered. She has been through so much and why? Because the damn police in this department are corrupt psychos.

The police question Edward and Bella for a long time, but they leave me alone. Do I appear in shock? I am not sure. I know that Emmett won't let them near me now anyway. He has gone into ultra-protective mode. I am grateful, really I am.

Emmett's soothing voice speaks in my ear. "Baby, if anything had happened to you I don't know what I…" His voice breaks off and I want to comfort him, but I can't right now. I cannot seem to find the words. I remember him comforting me after I was attacked. I remember how helpless he felt. I remember the pain etched in his face when he realized that he could not do anything to take that pain away from me. I remember his reaction to Bella suffering the same fate I had, but ten times over. Emmett loved Bella like a sister and I know that if Riley had gotten off, that Emmett would have killed him. I know that.

Emmett and Edward leave Bella and I alone in the little room…where are we anyway? How did we get here? Where are the cops? Apparently, I am not catching everything going on around me. I feel lucid enough, but drowsy or something…

Bella sits down beside me on the couch and throws her arms around me. I hug her back and inhale deeply. I am so relieved she is here with me and safe…so relieved.

"Rose, I am so sorry. I am so so sorry." She sobs and I look at her in agitation.

Of course she would blame herself of course she would. Bella has always been like that.

I take a deep breath before speaking. "Bella, you have nothing to be sorry for. He was going to kill Edward and take you away again. I could not allow that. He had to die. He had to die."

My voice is so monotone, so lifeless. I cannot even cough up any sympathy for the bastard and I don't care because he doesn't deserve my sympathy. I don't care at all that he is dead. I am glad he is gone…elated.

Bella nods at me. "I know…I was going to kill him myself before he hurt Edward, but I didn't have a weapon. I understand why he had to die, Rose. I am not angry he died. I just didn't want Edward to seek him out. It would have destroyed him, Rose. It would have destroyed him to take any life…even a sadistic one like Riley. Please, Rose, please don't let it destroy you." Her eyes are pleading with me and I smile at her.

"Bella, I am sure I am in some kind of shock, but I can say with absolute certainty that Riley Biers will not destroy me. No one will do that. I killed him to protect you. I can live with that. I love you, Bella. You are my best friend and the only person, aside from Emmett, that I have shared everything with. Can you do the same for me, Bella?"

She looks at me with wide frightened eyes.

I continue calmly. "I heard him taunting you with a tape. What was on that tape that made you panic like that?"

She sighs and looks down at her hands as if they are terribly interesting.

I watch as tears flow down her cheeks. "That was the night I lost the baby, Rose. He taped it."

Hate. Fierce hate boils through my veins and makes me want to kill that sick son of…all over again.

"He taped that?"

She nods. "I couldn't tell Edward that because I knew it would push im over the edge and he would hunt him down and kill him. I just…I just couldn't tell him that the worst thing that had ever happened to me had been videotaped…and that I had been forced to watch that tape. I couldn't tell him that and I never wanted him to see that tape."

I completely understand now. I understand why she was holding things back from Edward. I completely understand her embarrassment, even though she had absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Bella, Riley is the reason all of those bad things happened to you. You did not do anything to warrant them. You only did what you could to stay alive. You survived that, so I know you and Edward can get through anything together."

**BELLA'S POV**

I know Rose is right. Her smile makes me light up inside little by little. Edward and I got through this together, even though I tried like crazy to shut him out and push him away. He had never left my side. He had never left my side. Even my crazy psychiatrist with his unconventional methods had helped me a great deal in the end. I can now face all these fears, doubts, and insecurities head on. I am going to tell Edward everything and we can start to heal together and move on. I want to move on with the man I love and marry him.

I reach out and hug my best friend as tightly as I can manage. She smiles at me and when she pulls away I see tears on her cheeks.

"I love you, Bella. I will always be here for you."

My own eyes fill with tears as I look at the woman who is practically my sister. "I love you, too. You are my best friend, Rose. Always will be."

We hug again. "Hey, I take offense to that!" I hear a deep voice say from the doorway. Jake is there and I race into his arms as quickly as I can and he hugs me tight.

"You are my best friend, too, you know." I tell him and I feel him smile.

"I know, I know. We have our special connection and all that. Which, by the way, you better never try to cut me off again or there will be hell to pay!" He jokes and I laugh. It feels so good to laugh, when did I last laugh.

Then I look over his shoulder and see my Edward. The man I have always loved and will always love. He is looking at me with nothing but love and devotion in his eyes. Jake sets me on my feet and smiles.

I race right into Edward's awaiting arms and he pulls me as close to him as possible. Then we sink to the floor together. I feel his sobs wrack his body and I let go as well. We hug each other and sob. I am so relieved that we get to start over, that we get a future together.

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next chapter will be the last chapter. I am actually going to try and finish it tonight. It will be lengthy though and will give you a glimpse into their futures. Thank you to those of you who stuck with me. I liked writing this story, but I always knew that Edward and Bella would get their happy ending together. **

**Please review and let me know if there are any unanswered questions you would like me to clear up in the final chapter. I plan to say more about the police corruption and Riley having all that help. I will also get back to Renee and how she is doing. If there is anything else though, please let me know.**

**Also, whose perspective would you like the last chapter to be from? Edward or Bella? LET ME KNOW! **


	40. Chapter 40

**Taken**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight_. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

**Author's Note:** **Author' Note:** **I know I am late with this! I have been super busy with life. I work full time, have a husband, two kids, and I am taking two master's classes (I just had two thirty page papers due last week). Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed and added this to your favorites! It means so much to me! I think you are all wonderful! **** This is the last chapter. Thank you to all of you who have followed this story; many of you have followed since I posted the first chapter and I want to tell you how very much I appreciate all of you. Without further ado… **

**Edward's POV**

It has been one year since Bella had been kidnapped. One year full of pain and desperation, but also so much love and hope. After Rose killed Riley, Bella and I healed. She opened up to me and told me everything. She told me about the tape that Riley had kept…about how it held the death of our child. I hated Riley Biers with everything I was…but, in therapy, Bella and I discovered that hate doesn't help anything. Bella has always known that, but it took therapy for me to see it. Dr. Zafrina has helped Bella and I move forward together. It was Bella's idea for us to go therapy together and it has been incredible.

Slowly with many months of therapy, we have grown back together. Things will never be the same. We know that, but we also know that we can survive anything together. Bella and I found a place in the New York suburbs. We both finished our last semester and graduated. Bella's mother had even been allowed to attend our graduation. She is slowly coming around, but she will never be able to care from herself after her psychotic break. Luckily, Phil does love her and is taking care of her. She recognizes Bella and hugs her tightly when she sees her. Bella knows her mom will never be able to take care of her, but she doesn't blame her mother and never has. She told me that Esme has been like a mother to her all these years and it warms my mom's heart to know that Bella looks at her that way. Charlie has been pivotal to Bella' recovery; when we found our new place in New York he came to stay with us for a week to get her settled and to make her feel safe. He even installed a security system to give us and himself peace of mind.

It took Bella and I nearly nine months before we were intimate again. We took things incredibly slow between us, and I held her when she cried out in fear. It killed me that she was so terrified of what we used to share. Zafrina told us that it was normal for it to take a long time before Bella was comfortable with it again. She told us we both had to be patient. She told me that Bella did not blame me…she just couldn't disassociate intimacy with pain in her mind easily. It was difficult of me to accept that what Riley had done to her had robbed her of her ability to enjoy one other. However, I told Bella that if we never made love again that I was okay with that. I wanted her, no matter what. She was it for me and I would take her in whatever way she was able to have me. However, Bella was not willing to let us just be that. She wanted us to be together again. She told me that she wanted to remember what it had been like between us. She wanted to remember sex as something wonderful and not something painful. Finally, nine months later, she and I were back at a comfortable place sexually. We made love for the first time three weeks before our wedding and she cried afterwards. It alarmed me, but then she laughed through her tears and told me she was so happy. I had longed for that closeness with her and I was so immensely happy that she wanted it again as well. Even though I would have been completely fine as long as I had my Bella in whatever capacity I could have her. I love her. I could never love another and I never wanted another woman…I never had. Bella also talked to Zafrina about guilt. She felt guilty for being with Riley, even though it was not in her control to refuse him. She said she felt guilty because she had been with someone else and I had never been with anyone other than her. I told her how ridiculous that was. Bella was with Riley against her will; I know for a fact that Bella had only been with me in her heart – now she finally believed it too.

About a month after graduation, we got married. Rosalie had been Bella's matron of honor. Emmett had been my best man. Our wedding must have been grand, Alice had planned it all, but Bella was all I saw. She walked down the aisle toward me on Charlie's arm in a white satin dress that hugged her beautiful form in all the right place with her hair flowing down her back in long cascading waves. She may be different now, with all the horror we have been through, but so am I. Bella and I are eternal. Nothing will ever separate us, or tear us apart.

We honeymooned in Hawaii for two weeks. They were two of the best weeks of my life. Bella and I spent the majority of them rediscovering one another and whatever other time we had walking along the beach holding hands.

Now, back in New York, we are busy once again. It took me a month after we had been married before I was able to leave her alone in our new place. I was terrified of what could happen to her. Zafrina encouraged us to spend an hour away from one another every day until we went back to work. She wanted Bella to feel safe at home alone and she wanted me to feel safe leaving her there. I was even more terrified when Zafrina told us to reverse roles and Bella went out alone while I stayed at him. Every day, that hour was the worst hour of my life, but I also knew we had to get through this in order to have a healthy future.

Bella started work at the publishing company as a junior editor. She was happy there and even though it took me a month to be okay with being away from her all day, I was thrilled for her. I even started working on my music again. I was writing music for a few off Broadway shows and I was interviewing for a job on Broadway later in the week.

Bella and I have been married for four months today. I made steaks and grilled potatoes for dinner. I had chilled the champagne and I was waiting for her to come home from work. She was ten minutes late, and terror seized me. Where was she?

I was ten minutes away from calling the police when she walked into our apartment. Tears were coursing down her cheeks and I was instantly alarmed.

"Love, what is it? Are you all right? Who hurt you? I'll kill him!"

She stops me with her laughter. She throws her arms around my neck. "Edward, I'm pregnant. We are having a baby! We are going to be parents!"

I yell out and hold her tight and twirl her around in my arms as we both laugh. I cry as well as we embrace. "I have never been more happy in my entire life." I tell her.

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too, Bella love."

I know that life will not be perfect. I know that all roads in life are bumpy, but as long as I have my Bella…I know that I can get through any hell. I can survive anything with her by my side, forever. The darkness in life could not conquer the most powerful thing on earth: true love.

**I hope you the story. It was a difficult story for me to write because it is much darker than anything I have ever written before. I am going to finish my other Edward and Bella story, "The Chase," before I devote my time to my next idea. If you like my writing, add my username to your alerts and then you will know when I post my next story. **

**Please review and let me know what you all thought! I love you all!**


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